This is Mazon Monday post #6. A fellow member sent me some pictures of some recently opened Esconites zelus. Got interested in where and when it was first described, here are some highlights.
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Esconites zelus, Species Spotlight
| Esconites Temporal range: Carboniferous
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Polychaeta |
| Order: | Eunicida |
| Family: | Eunicidae |
| Genus: | †Esconites |
| Species: |
†E. zelus
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| Binomial name | |
| †Esconites zelus Thompson & Johnson 1977
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Esconites zelus is a species of polychaete worm. It is part of the Mazon Creek biota, Essex fauna. It was described in 1977 in a paper by Ida Thompson and Ralph Johnson, which appeared in Volume 33 No. 25 of Fieldiana a journal of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL. It was dedicated to the Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois (ESCONI). Here is the acknowledgments section of the paper.
The resurrection of the species described above has been greatly aided by two groups: collectors in the northern Illinois area and colleagues at Field Museum. We dedicate this new species, Esconites zelus, to the members of the Earth Sciences Club of Northern Illinois (ESCONI) in gratitude for their valuable co-operation in making their collections available for study, in lending specimens to Field Museum, and in donating particularly valuable specimens. Special thanks go to Mr. and Mrs. Ted Piecko, Mr. and Mrs. Francis Wolff, and Mr. and Mrs. Calvin George for generous donations of specimens. At Field Museum, Dr. Rainer Zangerl provided the genial matrix within which this study was made and Dr. Eugene S. Richardson, Jr., established valuable liaisons with collectors and gave advice and help generously.
The following is from Creature Corner, by Andrew A. Hay and Don Auler. This column first appeared in the November 1987 issue of the ESCONI Bulletin "The Earth Science News".
Discoveries at Pit 11 of hitherto rare and/or unknown marine, near-shore invertebrates alerted investigators to the probability of finding annelid type worms among the Essex Fauna. They were not disappointed. Over 20 worm-like species have been described, 2/3 of which have been classified as polychaetes.
The polychaete structures preserved with the best detail are the jaws (mandibles), setae, and cirri (bristles and hairs/tentacles). One of the most common Essex polychaetes, Esconites zelus, also possessed the most visible and largest mandibles.
E. zelus has a long (5 and ½ inches in some specimens) narrow body outline. The number of body segments, 20 to 80, increase with length. Commonly the body outline is seen as a difference in color on the concretion surface. In other specimens, the fine detail visible is remarkable. Jaw apparatus is the most obvious feature. These large, prominent, wing-like mandibles are dark brown to black carbon films.
Body segments bear parapodia (fleshy protrusions/stump feet) on each side. Parapodia are equipped with bristles and hairs, used to propel these predaceous, free-swimming annelids. Occasionally, the branchia (gills) can be seen among the setae and cirri that adorn the parapodia. The "head" is equipped with long tentacles and a "tail" with several long hairs. Well preserved jaws and long body configuration are the best field marks.
