Ophiomorpha Lundgren, 1891

DESCRIPTION: Vertical and horizontal cylindrical burrows. Tunnels branch and locally swell close to or at points of branching. Smooth interior walls. Outer surface of burrow lined with ovoid pellets.

BEHAVIOR(S): Trace is the dwelling burrows of decapod crustaceans, including numerous species of Thalassinidean shrimp. Tube margins are lined with fecal pellets.

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS: Marine environment, littoral, sublittoral, or upper neritic. Prolific numbers in marine shoreface environments. Also found in brackish water, sandy substrates including estuaries and tidal shoals.

POSSIBLE TRACEMAKERS: Crustaceans, shrimp, ghost shrimp.

GEOLOGIC RANGE: Permian-recent

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Uchman, 1995; Vaziri and Fürsich, 2007.