A—Endoceras warburtoni, Eth. fil. Ordovician. South Australia
B—Orthoceras lineare, Münster sp. Silurian (Yer.) Victoria
C—Cycloceras ibex, Sow. sp. Silurian (Melb.) Victoria
D—Phragmoceras subtrigorium, McCoy. Mid Devonian. Victoria
E—Gastrioceras jacksoni, Eth. fil. Carbopermian. W. Australia
F—Agathiceras micromphalum, Morris sp. Carbopermian. N.S.W.
Silurian Cephalopods.—
Silurian cephalopods are more generally distributed, and in Victoria constitute an important factor in the molluscan fauna of that system. Orthoceras and Cycloceras are the best known genera, represented by Orthoceras capillosum, found near Kilmore, Victoria; O. lineare ([Fig. 105 B]), from the Upper Yarra; Cycloceras bullatum, from the Melbournian of Collingwood and Whittlesea; and C. ibex ([Fig. 105 C]) from South Yarra and Flemington, in both Melbournian shale and sandstone. The latter species occurs also at Rock Flat Greek, New South Wales. Other Victorian species are Kionoceras striatopunctatum, a well-known European fossil with a reticulated and beaded ornament, found near Warburton and at McMahon’s Creek, Upper Yarra.
Orthoceras is also recorded from Tasmania and from the Wangapeka beds of Baton River, New Zealand. Cyclolituites, a partially coiled nautilian is recorded from Bowning, near Yass, New South Wales; whilst the closely related Lituites is noted from the Silurian of Tasmania.
Devonian Cephalopods.—
The only genus of cephalopoda at present recorded from the Devonian of Victoria is Phragmoceras (P. subtrigonum) ([Fig. 105 D]), which occurs in the Middle Devonian Limestone of Buchan, E. Gippsland. From beds of similar age in New South Wales Orthoceras, Cyrtoceras and Goniatites have been noted; whilst the latter genus also occurs near Kimberley, Western Australia. In Queensland Gyroceras philpi is a characteristic shell, found in the Fanning and Reid Gap Limestones of the Burdekin Formation (Middle Devonian).
Carbopermian Cephalopods.—
The Carbopermian rocks of New South Wales have yielded Orthoceras striatum, Cameroceras, Nautilus and Agathiceras micromphalum ([Fig. 105 F]). In Queensland the Gympie Formation contains Orthoceras, Gyroceras, Nautilus, Agathiceras micromphalum and A. planorbiforme. In Western Australia the Kimberley rocks contain Orthoceras, Glyphioceras sphaericum and Agathiceras micromphalum; whilst the largest known Australian goniatite, Gastrioceras jacksoni ([Fig. 105 E]) is found in the Irwin River District. Actinoceras hardmani is an interesting fossil from the Carbopermian of Lennard River, N.W. Australia. In Tasmania the genera Orthoceras and Goniatites have been recorded from beds of similar age.
Triassic Cephalopods.—
For Triassic cephalopoda we look to New Zealand, where, in the Mount Potts Spiriferina Beds of the Kaihiku Series a species of Orthoceras has been recorded. The Wairoa Series next in succession contains Orthoceras and an Ammonite.