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Journal of Coastal Research
Fort Lauderdale
The Pliocene Reefs of Miami:
Their Geomorphological Significance in the Evolution
of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Southeastern Florida, U. S.A 1
Edward J. Petuch
Department of Geology
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida :i3431
ABSTRACT
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PETUCH, E.•I., 1986. The Pliocene reefs of Miami: their geomorphological significance in the evolution ofthe Atlantic Coastal Ridge, southeasern Florida, U.S. A. Journal of Coastal Research. 2(4),391408. Fort Lauderdale, ISSN 0749-0208.
Construction excavations in western Metropolitan Miami (Metropolitan Dade County),
Florida have recently dredged up coral reef deposits from depths of only 15-20 m below the
Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Based upon index fossils, these richly fossiliferous sediments are
referrable to the Buckingham Formation (~"Pinecrest Beds or Formation" of Olsson) and
are dated as early Pliocene. A distinctive Pliocene coral fauna was present, including
Diploria sarasotana Weisbord, Septastrea marylandica (Conrad), Septastrea crassa (Holmes),
Porites furcula Lamarck, and the hydrocoralMillepora alcicomin Linnaeus, and over three hundred species of mollusks along with several species of echinoids and crustaceans (collected
as fragments). Although being more biohermal in form. the Pliocene reef system under
Miami appeared to have distinct zonation, with evidence of four ecological zones being
collected at the sampling sites. These zones included the high-energy. reef crest MilleporaTrochita Zone (Zone I), the reef platform lJip[oria-Gorgonian Zone (Zone 2), the back reef
Porites-Septastrea Zone (Zone 3), and a lagoonal Thalaesio- Turritella Zone (Zone 4) to the west
of the reef tract. Based upon both the extent of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and the implied
faunal zonation of the reefs, it is conjectured that the Pliocene reef tract produced the
original topographic high along the southeastern coast of Florida. This was later covered by
a crust of oolitic limestone and sand in the late Pleistocene to produce the Atlantic Coastal
Ridge. Similar Pliocene reef tracts are known from southwestern and southern Florida. and
these linked with the eastern reef tract to form an atoll-like structure around a central.
lagoon-like basin. The southern part of this basin infilled with carbonate sediments. and
during subaerial exposure in the early Pleistocene, produced the Tamiami Formation.
Together, the atoll-like Pliocene reef tracts and the central lagoon-like basin laid down the
geomorphological framework for the formation of the Everglades in the Holocene. The
Everglades is now seen to be reef-controlled. Fourteen new gastropod species. all index
fossils for the reef facies of the Buckingham Formation, and a new genus of hard substrate
muricid gastropods, are proposed.
ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Buckingham Formation, coral reef,
Ecergludvs. Florida, index fossil, Pliocene, Tamiami Formation.
INTRODUCTION
Recent dredgings and excavations for artificial
lakes and housing projects in western Metropolitan
Miami (Metropolitan Dade County), Florida, have
uncovered the first large quantities of deeper subsurface sediments from that area. UntiI1980-1983,
much of this area was still the swampy Eastern
Everglades and its subsurface geology was poorly
known. Because a large part of Metropolitan Miami
18.5006 received 24 January. /986: accepted in recision 211 February 1986.
sits on top of an anomolous oolitic limestone-capped
topographic high referred to as the Atlantic Coastal
Ridge (Figure I), the uncovering of this deeper subsurface material offered the first large-scale detailed
look at what lies below Miami.
In 1955, GARDNER (in PARKER, etal.) described a
Pliocene molluscan fauna taken from 20-50 m
depths in wells that were drilled near the site reported in this paper. Based upon index fossils, she correlated this fauna with the Pliocene Duplin Formation of North Carolina. The Floridian equivalent of
this well-known Carolinian formation has since been
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Petuch
referred to the Buckingham Formation of MANSFIELD
(1939) (="Pinecrest Beds or Formation" of OLSSON,
1968, andin OLSSON and PETIT, 1964. Fora discussion of this nomenclatural change, see PETUCH, in
press*). Some of the key Buckingham- Duplin index
fossils taken from below western Metropolitan
Miami included Urosalpinx suffolkensis Gardner,
Cancellaria tabulata Gardner and Aldrich, Calophos
(Dorsanum of authors) plicatile (Bose), Contraconus adversarius (Conrad), Sconsia hodgii
(Conrad), and Siphocypraea carolinensis (Conrad).
Among the extensive list of invertebrate species
given by Gardner, there were several taxa that also
indicated coral reef or hard bottom, shallow water
environments. These included the gastropods Crucibulum multilineatum (Conrad), Trossulasalpinx
trossulus (Conrad) new genus, Coralliophila sp.,
and Cerithium leonensis Mansfield, the encrusting
bivalvePseudochama striata (Emmons), along with
echinoid spines, large barnacles, and small coral
fragments. The Buckingham Formation has subsequently been radiometrically dated (as the "Pinecrest Formation") at3.7 million years BP (BENDER,
1972), making it the chronological equivalent of the
Duplin Formation.
Since August, 1983, draglines used in constructing artificial lakes have brought up large amounts of
highly fossiliferous sediments at several sites near
SW 146 th Avenue and Bird Road in Greater Miami,
all from depths of approximately 15-20 m. While
visiting four of these sites, I found that the marly
sediments contained a pure and species-rich assemblage of Buckingham-Duplin marine invertebrates. This assemblage was similar to that previously described by Gardner, but contained greater
numbers of corals and coralliophilous mollusks.
Commonly found at Bird Road were the reef corals
Diploria, Montastrea, Septastrea, and Porites, and
these, along with the Duplin-Buckingham gastropod index fossils, give strong evidence for the
existence of a Pliocene reef complex in the shallow
subsurface of southeastern Florida. For a description of the stratigraphy of this site, see PETUCH (in
press). The discovery of the Bird Road construction sites also allowed the first detailed look at the
structure of the eastern Floridian Pliocene reef tract
and gave a possible explanation for the regional
topographic high that rises above the rest of the
southeastern end of the Floridian Platform.
'The name Pinecrest Formation is a stratigraphic homonyn of the
Pinecrest Formation of the Triassic of Pinecrest Ridge. Red Butte
Creek. Utah, proposed in 1929 (see Keroher, 1966), and cannot he
used, again, for the Floridian formation.
MEEDER (1979) described similar-appearing
Buckingham-aged reef material taken in quarries
along the southwestern coast of Florida, from Naples
north to Estero. Although faunistically similar to
the eastern Floridian reef tract, this western reef
complex contained a richer coral fauna, with over
forty species of hermatypes. Among these were the
characteristic reef- building genera Stylophora,
Acropora, Goniopora, Diploria; Dichocoenia, Siderastrea, Agaricia, andMontastrea. To the east of the
west coast reef tract, MEEDER(1980) later encountered a lagoonal, soft- bottom, solitary coral fauna,
characterized by the generaPlacocyathus, Manicina,
Antillia, Antillophylia, and Flabellum. In containing
Placocyathus, this lagoonal assemblage was similar
to the lagoonal assemblage found along the western
side of the Miami reef tract, which will be discussed
later in this paper.
EVERGLADES
NATIONAL
PARK
Figure I. Location and extent of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge
(stippled areas) in Dade County, Florida. A Pliocene reef tract
shallowly underlies the stippled areas, and represents the southeastern corner of an atoll-like structure.
Specimens of Pliocene, Buckingham-aged coral
reef index fossils have also been taken farther
northward under the Atlantic Coastal Ridge at West
Palm Beach and Boca Raton (SWAYZE and MILLER,
1984) (designated as reefal limestones and shells),
.Iournal of Coastal Research. VoL 2, No.4, 1986
393
Pliocene ReefR of Miami
Figure2. Schematic diagram showingthe possihle configurationof the Floridian atoll-feature during its maximumdevelopment in the
Pliocene. Black areas denote land above mean sea level, stippled areas denote coral reefs; contour shows depth in meters below mean
Pliocene sea level. Pliocene coral reef index fORRilR have been collected, in wellcores and dredging operations, at Bird Road, Miami(B),
KromeAvenue,Miami(K)(GARDNER, 1955),Pinecrest (PC) (OLSSON and PETIT, 1964; OLSSON, 1967),Mule Pen Quarry, Naples (M) and
Estero (E) (MEEDER, 1979, 1980), Buckingham (BU) (MANSFIELD, 1939), Olga (0) (MANSFIELD, 19:19), Fisheating Creek (F), and
Brighton (BR) (OLSSON and PETIT, 1964; OLSSON, 1967), and West Palm Beach (P) (SWAYZE and MILLF:R, 1984).
and in Broward County (CAUSERAS, USGS, personal communication). This evidence indicates that
the Pliocene reef system of southeastern Florida
formed a relatively continuous tract running from
Palm Beach southward to Miami and possibly
southern Dade County. Pliocene coral reef index
fossils, primarily mollusks, have also been taken
from shallow subsurface digs around the periphery
of the Everglades region at Brighton and Fish Eating Creek (OLSSON and PETIT, 1964; OLSSON,
1967), Olga (MANSFIELD, 1939), Adine (TUCKER
and WILSON, 1932; 1933), Buckingham (MANSFIELD,
1939), and Pinecrest (OLSSON and PETIT, 1964;
OLSSON, 1967). Together with Meeder's western
reef tract and the eastern reeftract under the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, these other reeftracts complete
the picture and demonstrate the existence of a ringlike configuration of coral reefs in southern Florida
during the Pliocene (Figure 2).
Somewhat overshadowed by the finding of an
eastern Floridian Pliocene reef fauna, but still of
importance, were several other interesting paleontological discoveries. These included the first specimens of the Chesapeake Miocene gastropod genus
Ecphora from as far south as Miami along the eastern Floridian coast, the largest-known assemblage
of gorgonian-commensal ovulid gastropods (seven
species of Cyphoma and one of Neosimnia) known in
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Petuch
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the fossil record, and the first known species ofthe
predominantly Indo-Pacifc conid subgenus Virgiconus found in North America. These finds, along
with the description of the reeffauna, will be expanded upon in the following sections. Some important
new gastropod species, index fossils for the Miami
Pliocene reefs, and possibly for the entire atollfeature, are described in a separate systematic
section.
STRUCTURE OF THE PLIOCENE
REEFS OF MIAMI
An analysis of the fauna from the spoil banks at
Bird Road showed that the assemblage represented a thanatocoenosis. Here, quiet-water, softsubstrate-dwelling species such as Turritella pontoni Mansfield, Architectonica watsonensis Mansfield, Terebra (Myurellina) miamica Olsson, Polinices
carolinensis (Conrad), Pyruella sarasotaensis Petuch,
and Oliva carolinensis Conrad, were found mixed
together with surf-loving, high energy environment
species such as Trochita floridana Olsson and Petit
and Crucibulum ramosum (Conrad), and also with
rubble-loving, high energy environment species
such as Diodora carolinensis (Conrad), Turbo crenulatoides Maury, Muricanthus sp., Vitularia linguabison E. Vokes, and Gemophos maxwelli Olsson
and Harbison. Within this unnatural grouping of
over three hundred species of mollusks, however, a
definite pattern of zonation is apparent. Mostofthe
key respective paleoenvironmental indicators, such
as the genera Trochita, Cyphoma; Vitularia, Muricopsis, Parametaria, and Turritella, are extant in
either the Panamic or Caribbean Provinces, and
their Recent ecologies were used for determining
the following reconstructions.
Because it was located in a quiet, back-reef area
west of the main reef complex, the sampling site was
ideally situated for the accumulation of material
from the other high energy zones to the east. From
the thanatocoenosis that resulted from material
washing over the reef platforms and being deposited in the lagoon, four distinct faunal zones can be
inferred. Figure 3 shows both the possible arrangement of the faunal zones on an idealized section of
the Miami reef and how they may have related to
each other along a gradient of depth and wave
energy. Figure 4 shows the hypothetical pattern of
zonation over the entire reef complex. The faunal
compositions of the four zones were as follows. A
complete species list is given in PETllCH (in
press).
(Millepora - Trochita Zone)
Zone 1.
This zone encompassed the fore-reef and reef
crest and represented a high energy environment.
Large, spathate Millepora alcicornis Linnaeus colonies (Plate 1, Figure 5) and massive coralline algae
growths formed the main reef framework in this
zone and provided the substrate for a rich fauna of
limpet and limpet-like gastropods. Some of the
more abundant of these, such as the calyptraeids
Trochita floridana Olsson and Petit (Plate 1, Figures 3,4) and Crucibulum (Dispotaea) ramosum
(Conrad) (Plate 1, Figures 1,2), represented groups
that were especially adapted to extremely highenergy environments and, although extinct in the
Recent Atlantic, are extant along wave-pounded
areas of the eastern Pacific. Figure 5 shows the
possible life positions of the limpet fauna of Zone 1.
Masses of the vermetid gastropods Petaloconchus
floridanus Olsson and Harbison, often encrusted
withSeptastrea corals (Plate 1, Figure 8), were also
probably from this zone, as was a large and spectacular calyptraeid fauna containing Crucibulum
spinosum (Conrad), Crucibulum multilineatum
(Conrad) (Plate 1, Figures 6,7), Crepidula ponderosa H. Lea, Crepidula rostrata Conrad, Crepidula
costata Morton, Crepidula cymbaeformis Conrad,
Crepidula aesop Dall, Crepidula rhyssema Olsson
and Harbison, and Calyptraea centralis Conrad,
and the fissurellid limpets Diodora alumensis
(Mansfield), Diodora carolinensis (Conrad), Diodora
petasa Olsson and Harbison, and several large,
undescribed Diodora species. The large barnacle
Balanus concavus d. chesapeakensis Pilsbry was
also abundant in this zone, and often encrusted
calyptraeid gastropods (Plate 1, Figure 7).
Zone 2
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(Diploria - Gorgonian Zone)
This area represented the main reef platform
behind Zone 1 and probably averaged depths ofl-5
m. An extremely rich invertebrate fauna was found
in this area of the reef, containing over one hundred
species of large gastropods, at least thirty pelecypods, several species of decapod crustaceans and
echinoderms (represented by fragments), and at
least six species of stony corals. The substrate was
primarily composed of large heads of the massive
corals Siderastrea dalli Vaughan, Montastrea sp.,
and Diploria sarasotana Weisbord (Plate 2, Figure
1), and numerous smaller encrusting corals such as
Septastrea crassa (Holmes) (Plate 4, Figure 1).
These corals were preyed upon by ectocommensal
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Plioce ne Reefs of Miami
. 395
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Figu re 3. Sc he mat ic d iagram ofthe possible zonationa l pattern of t he Miam i reef tr a ct; Zon e 1 (Millepora - Trochita Zone), high energy,
wave-s urge reef crest, exposed at low tide; Zon e 2 (Diploria- Go rgonia n Zon e), lower ene rgy reef platform dominated by massive corals and
gorgonia ns; Zo ne 3 (Porites - S epias/rea Zo ne), deeper wat er, low ene rgy bac k ree f ar ea domin ated by fra gile, branching co rals; Zon e 4
(Thalassia - Turritella Zon e), q uiet la goon al area d om inat ed by turtle grass a nd Turri tella beds a nd so ft-subs trate mollu sk s.
Figure 4. Possible pattern of zonation along the entire Pliocene Miam i ree f t ra ct, supe rimposed up on th e Recent Atlantic Coastal Ridge
system. Nu mbers correspond to reef zones; .. B" indicates t he position of th e Bird Road collec tio n sites; arrows ind icate th e pos sible direction of wave act ion.
,Journa l of Coas ta l Research, Vol. 2, No. 4, 1986
396
Petuch
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Figur e 5. Molluscan fauna of Zone I, expo se d at low tide, s howing possible life positions. Large, spiral Trochita florida na dominate. Other
species inclu de Crucibulum (Dispotaea) ramosurn (fro nt ce nte r), th e large, ray-patterne d keyhole limp et Diodora alurnensis, and a few
erra nt specimens of Urosalpinx and Trossulasalpinx feedin g on barn acle s.
coralliophagous gastropods such as Coralliophila
(Babelomurex) man sfieldi (McG inty) (P late 2, Figure 2, 3).
Although not pr eserved, gorgonians must have
been especially abundant in thi s zone , as implied by
an unusually large fauna of octocorallian ect ocom mensal ovulid gastropods. Of seven species collected, all were new to science and four are described
in this paper; Cyphoma viaa vensis n.sp .(Plate 3,
Figures 5, 6), e. carolae n.sp . (P late 3, Figure s 7,8),
e. finkl i n. sp. (P late 3, Figures 13, 14). Colonial ascidians were als o present, as indicated by a bunda nt
individuals of seven s pecies of the uroch ordate
ectocommensal gastropod genera Trivia and
Pusula.
Like the genera Trochita and Crucibulum (Dispotaea) of Zone 1, which are living in the Re cent
only in th e Pacific Ocean, other paciphilic genera
and species were abundant on th e main reef pla tform . These included th e muricid Vitularia liguab son E . Voke s (P late 2, Figures 8-11), the columbellid Parametaria linda e n. sp. (P late 3, Figures
9,10), the bu ccinid genera Calophos and S trombinophos, the cance llariid genera Extra ctrix and
Massyla, and the to nnid genu s Malea (collected
only as fragm en ts). The platform of the Pliocene
Miami reef also acted as a r efugium for Ches apeake
Miocene gener a. While the se becam e extinct northward, th ey survived on th e so ut hern Floridi an reefs,
possibl y into th e latest Pli ocen e. So me of the Floridian Ches a peake Miocen e species inclu de d the
mu ricids Trossulasalpinx curtus (Dall, 189 0) new
genus (P late 4, Figures 8,9), Trossulasalpinx vokesae
n. gen. and n. sp. (Plate 4, Figures 6,7 ), the buccinid
genus Ptychosalpinx and t he thaidid Ecphora striatula n. sp. (P late 4, Figur es 15,16) (collected only
as fra gmen ts).
Besid es the paciphil ic an d Ches apeake relict
compo ne nt s, the majority ofthe inverte brate faun a
in Zon e 2 was typ ical of shallow, hard bott om, welloxyge nated tro pica l ree f enviro nments. T he reef
echinoid Eucidaris spp. was ap parently ab undant
in thi s zone, as evide nced by numerous fragme nt s
of spine s (P late 2, Figur e 12). T ypical Miami reef
J ou rna l of Coas ta l Resear ch, Vol. 2, No.4 , 1986
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gastropods, morphologically similar to Recent reef
species, included the muricids Auiliosa oiaaoensis
n. sp. (Plate 4, Figures 14,15), Muricopsis lyonsi n.
sp, (Plate 4, Figures 12, 13), Dermomurex engonatus (Dall) (Plate 4, Figure 10), Urosalpinx suf[olhensis Gardner (Plate 4, Figures2, 3), Urosalpinx
phrikna Gardner and Aldrich (Plate 4, Figures 4,5),
the mitridMitra (Scabricola) lindae n. sp. (Plate 3,
Figures 3, 4), the fasciolariid Latirus miamiensis n.
sp. (Plate 3, Figures 1, 2), the turbinidAstraea teetariaformis n. sp. (Plate 2, Figures 4, 5) and five
species of the turbinellid genus Hystrioasum.
The sessile, reef-loving bivalve mollusk>, Pseudochama striata (Emmons), Pseudochama corticosa
(Conrad), Spondylus bostrychites Gabb, and Lima
florpacifica Olsson and Petit were common, as were
the coral-boring bivalves Rupellaria grinnelli (Olsson)
and Coralliophaga microreticulata Gardner.
Zone 3 (Porites - Septastrea Zone)
This zone encompassed a deeper, quiet water
area (5-10 m depth) behind the main reef platform.
Judging from the abundance of Septastrea marylandica (Conrad) (Plate 4, Figure 11) and fragments
of Porites furcata Lamarck (Plate 4, Figure 16),
these corals must have been the dominant and
characteristic organisms of this zone. The Septastrea marylandica colonies often are found to have
encrusted gastropods shells and, in this manner,
they appear to have been carried about by hermit
crabs.
Especially common in, and probably characteristic of, the Porites - Septastrea Zone were the cypraeid gastropod Cypraea lindae n. sp. (Plate 2,
Figures 6, 7) and the conid gastropod Conus
(Virgiconus) miamiensis n. sp. (Plate 3, Figures 11,
12). A large fauna ofturbinid gastropods, including
Turbo ayersi Olsson, Turbo uiellsi Tucker and
Wilson, Turbo crenulatoides Maury, and Turbo
(TaenioturboJ sp., was also found in this zone. The
research sites at Bird Road occurred within the
region of this zone (Figure 4).
Zone 4. (Thalassia - Turritella Zone)
Representing the lagoonal region behind the
main reef system, this extensive zone was characterized by a soft sediment substrate containing a
patchwork of turtle grass (Thalassia) beds, open
sandy areas, and large beds of the gastropods Turritella spp. Over one-half of the gastropods collected at the Bird Road site appear to have lived in this
quiet, deeper water (10-20 m) area. The giant
turritellids Turritella(Eichwaldiella) pontoni Mansfield, Turritella (Eichwaldiella) mansfieldi Olsson,
and Turritella buckinghamensis Mansfield, formed
beds that probably carpeted large areas of sea floor,
much as Turritella maiquetiana Weisbord does in
the relict faunas of the Recent Gulf of Venezuela
(PETUCH, 1981). A species-rich cancellariid fauna
was also found in this soft- substrate zone, including
over twenty-five species comprising the genera
Cancellaria s.s., Extractrix, Massyla, Olssonella;
Emmonsella, and Trigonostoma.
Sand-dwelling, vermivorous conacean gastropods were especially common in this zone, implying a rich polychaete fauna. Included were large
species such as Conus (Lithoconus) druidi Olsson,
Conus (Lithoconus) cherohus Olsson and Petit, and
Contraconus adoersarius (Conrad), twelve other
cone species, eighteen species of the terebrid genera
Hastula, Strioterebrum, andMyurellina, ten species
of the turrid genus Cymatosyrinx, and twenty-six
other small turrids in the genera Brachycythara,
Buchema, Carinodrillia, Cerodrillia, Glyphostoma;
Hindsiclava, Sedilia, and Syntomodrillia.
The abundant presence of algivorous gastropods
gives evidence for extensive Thalassia beds in the
vicinity of the Miami reefs. These algivores included
the dorso-ventrally flattened Siphocypraea carolinensis (Conrad) andSiphocypraeapilsbryi (Ingram),
the strombids Strombus floridanus Mansfield and
Strombus (Tricornis) n. sp., the modulid Modulus
woodringi Mansfield, and a large cerithiid fauna
comprising species in the genera Bittium, Cerithioclava, Ochetoclava, and Thericium. This community
probably closely resembled the turtle grass communites of the Recent Gulf of Venezuela, where
relict Siphocypraea species have been found living
in, and feeding on, Thalassia (PETUCH, 1979, 1981).
The lagoonal, solitary coralPlacocyathus was common in this assemblage.
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL
IMPLICATIONS
By fitting the two mirror- image reef tracts together,
it can now be seen that the Everglades region of
southern Florida contains a buried atoll-like Pliocene coral reef feature, with the curved tracts surrounding a central lagoon.
During the middle of the Pliocene (Buckingham
time), the Floridian reef complexes had expanded
along the eastern edge of the continental shelf from
present-day Palm Beach County south to southern
Dade County, producing the foundation for the
.lournal of Coastal Research, Vol. 2, No.4, 1986
398
Petuch
Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Similar wide reef tracts also
were building along the southern and southwestern
coasts of Florida, producing the foundation for the
Immokalee Rise (MEEDER, 1979), and for the
Everglades keys and hammocks of Everglades
National Park.
Based upon the absence of marine molluscan
fossils in the 10-15 meters of sand above the Buckingham deposits (PETUCH, in press), the topographic
high produced by the eastern reef tract may have
become an island in the late Pliocene and early-tomiddle Pleistocene and was subsequently buried
by latest Pleistocene sediments. During the very
high sea level stand during the Sangamon Interglacial Stage, this barrier island was covered with a
thin (5 meters) cap of oolitic limestone. This cap,
the Miami Formation, in turn, conforms to the subsurface morphology of the Pliocene reefs and Pleistocene island and produces the ridge system that
underlies most of Metropolitan Miami.
The lagoonal region between the eastern and
western Buckinghamian reef tracts produced a large
depositional basin. The southern part, in particular, was filled with carbonate sediments throughout the Pliocene and lithified, under subaerial conditions at the end of the Pliocene, to produce the
Tamiami Limestone (sensu stricto) of MANSFIELD
(1939) (now Tamiami Formation). Since the end of
the Pleistocene, the reef tract-topographic highs
have directed the southward flow of water from
Lake Okeechobee over the impervious Tamiami
limestone and are directly responsible for the formation of the Everglades.
The structure of the Floridian Pliocene reefs differed greatly from Recent Caribbean, Florida Keys,
and Indo- Pacific coral reefs, and more closely resembled giant bioherms than actual growing, true
reef complexes (MEEDER, 1979, 1980). Even with a
biohermal structure, a zonational pattern was still
apparent, with spathate Millepora hydrocorals occupying the high-energy reef crest and ramose
Stylophora, Septastrea, and Porites corals occupying the reef platform and back reef.
Although having great differences in the compositions of the framework corals, the Miami reefs
still supported a molluscan, gorgonian, and echinoderm fauna that closely resembled those found on
coral reefs of the Recent Caribbean, Florida Keys,
and Indo- Pacific regions. It can be construed from
this data that, although the composition of the reef
framework coral species may change throughout
time, the composition of the reef-dwelling molluscan fauna, once established, will remain constant
over time. This probably reflects a molluscan zonation pattern that is determined more by wave-surge
energy regimes than by the actual species of substrate corals A zonated reef from the Recent IndoPacific will characteristically support a molluscan
fauna containing species of Virgiconus, Cypraea,
Latirus, Coralliophila, Vitularia; Scabricola, and
numerous ovulids. These same gastropod genera
were abundant components of the reefs of the Pliocene southern Floridian atoll-feature.
SYSTEMATIC SECTION
The following new species of gastropod mollusks
are important index fossils for the coral reef facies
of the Buckingham Formation. The characteristic
assemblages containing these, and the other gastropod species previously mentioned, can be used
to map the extent of the Pliocene reef systems in
southern Florida. The type material is deposited in
the paleontological collections of the Museum of
Comparative Zoology (The Agassiz Museum.),
Harvard University, and bear MCZ numbers. The
type locality for all species is the Lakes of the
Meadows subdivision, S. W. 146 t h Avenue and
Bird Road, Metropolitan Dade County (Metropolitan Miami), Florida. Material was dredged
from 15-20 m depth while digging artificial lakes,
from August, 1983 to May, 1984. Stratigraphic control was achieved by asking for excavation depths
from the crane operators during active dredgings
(PETUCH, in press) The new taxa include:
Trossulasalpinx new genus (Type: Fusus trossulus
Conrad, Yorktown Formation of Virginia, family
Muricidae).
Turbinidae - Astraeinae
Astraea tectariaformis new species
Ovulidae
Cyphoma viaavenis new species
Cyphoma carolae new species
Plate 1. (Facing page) Gastropods and Coelenterates of Zone
1. (Millepora- Trochita Zone).
Figures 1 and 2. Crucibulum (Dispotaea) ramosum (Conrad.
1842). Ventral ann dorsal aspects of 4;1 mm specimen. Figures S
and 4. Trochita [lorulana Olsson and Petit. 1964. Ventral and
dorsal aspect s of 40 mm specimen. Figure 5. Millepora alcicornis
Linnaeus, 17!lH. Specimen 44 rnm in length. Figures f) and I.
Crucibulum multilineatum. I Conrad. 18421. Ventral and dorsal
aspects of 4'~ mm specimen. Two large Balanus conCQl'w. cf.
ch« xapeahcn»:» OIl dorsum, MCZ 29240 Figure R Petaloccmchus
florulana Oleson and Harbison. 19S:L colonv /9 mm in diameter,
with small colon v of Septa-urcu crass(] (Holme-v, lX:-lr\) coral.
Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 2. N, ;. 1!IHI,
Pliocene Reefs of Miami
,Journa l of Coasta l Res ear ch. Vol. 2, No.4 , 1986
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Cyphoma [ink li new species
Cyphoma miamiensis new species
Cypraeidae
Cypraea lindae new species
Muricidae
Attiliosa viaavensis new species
Muricopsis lyonsi new species
Trossulasalpinx vokesae new species
Thaididae
Ecphora striatula new species
Fasciolariidae
Latirus miamiensis new species
Columbellidae
Parametaria lindae new species
Mitridae
Mitra (Scabricola) lindae new species
Conidae
Conus (Virgiconus) miamiensis new species
Gastropoda
Archeogastropoda
Turbinidae
Astraeinae
genus Astraea Reding, 1798
Astraea tectariaformis new species (Plate 2, Figures 4, 5)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 19 mm, width 18 mm, MCZ29216.
PARATYPES: 2 specimens, lengths 21 and 27 mm, MCZ
29230.
Description: Shell of average size for genus, high-conic in profile, with straight sides; sculpture consists of 8-10 coarse spiral
ribs on each whorl; ribs beaded, with beads of each rih lining-up in
longitudinal rows; beading strongest near suture, impressed; base
of shell with five or six strong scabrous ribs, strongly covered with
imbricated lamellae; hody and spire whorl rihs covered with fine
lamellae, giving shell surface scaly appearance; periphery ornamented with 21-27 small axial ribs that are, in turn, extensions of
headed rows on whorls.
Etymology: In reference to this new species' resemblance to the
littorinid genus Tectarius (little tent or hut).
Paleoecology: Like its Recent relative, Astraea tecta (Lightfoot,
1786), A.tectariaformis lived on coral rubble in shallow water on
the reef platform. The holotype has a scar produced by a harnacle
attachment on the whorls adjacent to the aperture, implying an
occasional commensal relationship.
Discussion: Astraea tectoriaformis is closest to A scolopax
Olsson and Harbison, 195:J, of the Buckingham Formation at St
Peters burg and to A. precursor (DaIL 1892) of the Caloosahatchee
Formation. The new species differs from both of these species by
heing a consistently smaller shell, by having finer, more delicate
sculpturing, and by lacking the large, prominent, rounded knobs
along the periphery. The Astralium americanum Gmelin illustrated by TUCKER and WILSON (1933: Plate :J, Figures 1,4) appears to be this new species.
Caenogastropoda
Cypraeacea
Ovulidae
genus Cyphoma Roding, 1798
Cyphoma oiaaoensis new species (Plate 3, Figures 5,6)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 19 mm, width 9 mm, MCZ29217.
Description: Shell small for genus, thickened, narrow in outline,
extremities blunt, lateral callus very thick; transverse ridge on dorsum narrow, well-developed; aperture narrow, flaring at anterior
end; dorsum and base smooth, without striations.
Etymology: Named for Bird Road. the type locality.
Paleoecology: Cyphoma oiaarensis was probably ectocommensalon thin- branched gorgonians such as Plexaurella, Pseudopterogorgla, or Pterogorgia.
Discussion; Cyphoma ouiaoensis closely resembles the Panamiceastern Pacific Cyphoma emarginatum (Sowerby, 18:\0), hoth in
size and development ofthe lateral callus, but differs in lacking the
large lahial projection on the lateral callus. Cyphoma (Pseudocyphoma) intermedium (Sowerby, 182iJ) from the Recent Caribbean region is similar, but is a larger shell without a dorsal transverse ridge.
Cyphoma carolae new species (Plate 3, Figures 7,8)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 24 mm, width 10 mm, MCZ29218.
Description: Shell of average size for genus, thickened, narrow
in outline, extremities rounded; lateral callus well-developed but
thin and compressed; transverse ridge on dorsum narrow, weaklydeveloped, low; aperture narrow, flaring at anterior end; dorsum
and base smooth.
Etymology: Named for Mrs. Carole Lyons, St. Petersburg,
Florida who collected, and kindly donated, the holotype.
Paleoecology: Like the other Cyphoma species described here,
C. carolae probably lived on gorgonians. .ludging from its slender
shape, C carolae may have lived on Plexaurella or Pseudopterogorgia-type octocorallians.
Discussion: Also like Cyphoma oiaauensis; C carolae is similar
to C. intermedium but differs in having a dorsal transverse ridge.
Cyphoma carolae is also similar to the Recent C. rhomba Cate,
1979 from the Florida Keys, but differs in having a more slender,
elongated shape.
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Cyphoma fink Ii new species (Plate 3, Figures 17, 18)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: length Sfl mm, width 14 mm, MCZ29219.
PARATYPES: 2 specimens lengths ai and :J:3 mm, MCZ
292:J 1.
Description: Shell of average size for genus, thickened, heavy,
rhomboid in outline; extremities blunt; lateral callus very thick,
i
Plate 2. (Facing page) Gastropods, Coelenterates, and Echinoderms of Zone 2. (Diploria - Gorgonian Zone).
Figure 1. Dipioria sarasotnna Weisbord, 1974. Specimen 87
mm in diameter. Figures 2 and :l. Coratliophila (Babelomurex)
mansfieldi (McGI~TY, 1940). Dorsal and ventral aspects of21 mm
specimen. Figures 4 and Pi. Astraea tectariaformis new species.
Dorsal and basal aspect of holotype, length 19 mm, MCZ29216.
Figures 6 and 7. Cypraea lindae new species. Dorsal and ventral
aspects of holotype, length :\6 mm, MCZ29221. Figures 8 and 9.
Vitularia lingua bison E. Vokes, 1967. Dorsal and ventral aspects
of 49 mm specimen. Figures 10 and II. Vitularia ci.Iinpuabieon E.
Vokes. Dorsal and ventral aspects of2:1 mm specimen. Figure 12.
Eudidaris sp. Fragment of spine, length 14 mm.
.Iournal of Coastal Research, Vol. 2, No.4, 1986
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.Iourna l of Coasta l Resear ch. Vol. 2, No. 4, 1986
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wide; transverse ridge on dorsum wide, very well-developed, prominent, inscribed with 4-6 fine raised threads; aperture wide, flaring at anterior end; dorsum and base smooth.
Etymology: Named for Dr. Charles W. Finkl, J nr., of the Coastal
Education and Research Foundation (CERF), Fort Lauderdale,
Florida.
Paleoecology: Being the largest of the fossil Cyphoma species
found at the Bird Road site, C'. [inhli probahly lived on larger
gorganian genera such as Plexaura and Gorgonia, much as is seen
in the Recent C'. gibbosum (Linnaeus, 1758) and C'. signatum
Pilsbry and McGinty, 1939.
Discussion: Cyphoma finkli is closest to the Recent C'. signatum
from the Florida Keys and Caribbean region, but differs in being a
smaller shell with a much more pronounced transverse ridge. In
the form of the ridge, C. [inhli is similar to C'.gibbosum from the
Caribbean region and to the fossil C.precursor Dall, 1897 from the
Caloosahatchee Formation (early Pleistocene of southern Florida).
The raised threads on the ridge of C. [inhli are unique, however,
setting this new species aside from all known members of the
genus.
Etymology: Named for my wife, Linda, who found the type
specimen.
Paleoecology: Like many other small cowries with narrow apertures, Cypraea lindae probahly lived under large blocks of coral
rubble on the main reef platform. Cypraea lindae may have fed on
sponges, as do similar-appearing Recent Australian species of the
subgenus Zoila -Iousseaume, 1884.
Discussion: Of the known cyraeids of the Neogene southeastern
United States, Cypraea lirulae comes closest to Siphocypraea carolinensis (Conrad, 1841), but differs in being a much smaller, more
inflated shell with a much higher, humped dorsum. The aperture
of S. carolinensis is wide and flaring at the anterior end, while that
of C. lindae is very narrow throughout without the anterior widening. The labial dentition of C. lindae is also much coarser and
better- developed than that of S. carolinensis.
Muricidae
Muricinae
genus Attiliosa Emerson, 1968
Attiliosa oiaaueneis new species (Plate 4, Figures 14,15)
Cyphoma miamiensis new species (Plate 3, Figures 13,
14)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 16 mm, width 6 mm, MCZ29220.
Description: Shell small for genus, very thin, narrow in outline;
extremities rounded; lateral callus thin, poorly developed, producing only slight thickening of lip; transverse ridge on dorsum,
low, poorly-developed; aperture wide, flaring, increasing in width
at anterior end; dorsum and base smooth.
Etymology: Named for Miami, Florida, site of the main part of
the Pliocene reef tract
Paleoecology: Judging from its small size and narrow outline,
Cyphoma miamiensis was probably ectocommensal on slender
gorgonian genera such as Plexaurella; Eunicea, and Pseudopterogorgia.
Discussion: The tiny, fragile Cyphoma miamiensis is only similar
to one other small species from the Recent Florida Keys, C'.
sedlacki Cate, 1978. The fossil species differs from the Recent
species by having a pronounced transverse ridge and wider aperture. This is the smallest Cyphoma species known from the
fossil record.
Cypraeidae
genus Cypraea Linnaeus, 1758
Cypraea lindae new species (Plate 2, Figures 6, 7)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length :J6 mm, width 22 mm, MCZ29221
PARATYPES: 2 specimens, lengths :J6 and 52 mm, MCZ
29n2.
Description: Shell average size for genus, inflated, with high
humped dorsum; posterior canal straight, simple in form, slightly
curving to right; anterior canal narrow, well developed, with pronounced extremities; aperture narrow, straight. with slight curve
to left at posterior end; fossula poorly-developed, almost absent;
lip with 17-21 large, coarse teeth; columella with 14-18 large,
coarse teeth; labial teeth extend onto base of lip; color pattern,
when preserved, is made up of numerous tiny brown flecklings on
dorsum and broad brown bands on base of lip; each basal lip hand
extends from one labial tooth to margin.
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 16 mm, width 8 mrn, MCZ29222
PARATYPE: length 15 mm, MCZ292:I:J.
Description: Shell average size for genus, thickened, with elevated spire, broadly hi conic; body whorl with 9-10 large spiral
cords; 7-11 varix-like axial ridges per whorl; siphonal canal short
and open, ornamented with 4-6 large cords; siphonal cords of same
size as those on hody whorl; suture weakly impressed, undulating;
aperture round with 9-11 large lirae on inside of lip; columella
adherent.
Etymology: Named for Bird Road, the type locality.
Paleoecology: As in the three known living species, Attiliosa viaaoensi« probahly lived in and among coral rubble piles on the main
reef platform. Here it may have preyed upon harnacles or small
sessile bivalves.
Discussion: Attiliosa viaaoensis is most similar to the Recent
Gulf of Mexico and Pleistocene Floridian (Bermont Formation) A
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Plate :J. (Facing page) Gastropods of Zone 2. ({JiploriaGorgonian Zone).
Figures 1 and 2. Latirus miamiensis new species. Dorsal and ventral aspects of holotype, length :J5 mm (incomplete), MCZ29226.
Figures S and 4. Mitra (Scabricola) linda» new species. Dorsal and
ventral aspects of holotype, length 22 mm (incomplete), MCZ
29228. Figures f) and 6. Cyphoma oiaarensis new species. Dorsal
and ventral aspects of holotype, length 19 mm, MCZ29217.
Figures 7 and S. Cyphoma carolae new species. Dorsal and ventral
aspects of halotype, length 24 mm, MCZ29218. Figures 9 and 10.
Parametaria lindae new species. Dorsal and ventral aspects of
holotype, length 2:J mm, MCZ29227. Figures II and 12. Conus
(VirRiconus) miamiensis new species. Dorsal and ventral aspects of
holotype, length:J2 mrn, MCZ29229. Figures 1:1 and 14. Cyphoma
miamicnsis new species. Dorsal and vent ral aspects of holotype.
length 16 mm, MCZ29220. Figure 15. Ecphora siriatula new
species. Fragment of spire, length 11 mm. from Miami. Paratype.
MCZ292:J5. Figure 16. Ecphora striatula new species. Dorsal
aspect of holotype, length :11 mm, from Macasphalt Pit Mine
Numher 0800826, Sarasota, Florida. MCZ29225. Figures 17 and
18. Cvphoma fi"kli new species. Dorsal and ventral aspects of
holotype. length:lO mm. MCZ29219.
.lournal of Coastal Research. Vol. 2, No. 4, 1986
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Pliocen e Re efs of Miami
J ournal of Coas tal Resear ch, Vol. 2, No.4, 1986
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philippiana (Dall, 1889), both in size and shape, but differs in having a far more ornate sculptural pattern on the body whorl and
spire, These strong sculptural cords somewhat give A viaavensis
the appearance of the closely-related, ornately-sculptured genus
Calotrophon Hertlein and Strong, 1951, but tile shape, form of the
spire whorls, and protoconch all point to inclusion in the biconic
genus Attiliosa.
Ocenebrinae
genus Trossulasalpinx new genus
Diagnosis: Shells fusiform in shape, solid, thickened; spires protracted; body whorls and spire whorls covered by cancellate sculpture comprising numerous strong spiral cords intersected by
equally-spaced longitudinal varix-like ribs; in some species, spiral
cords and logitudinal ribs are of equal size producing cancellate
pattern of beads; other species have horizontal spiral cords more
prominent than ribs, producing sculpture of revolving cords with
low. elongated beads; some species with knob-like varices along
shoulder; columellae adherent; outer edge of lip with numerous
teeth along aperture; siphonal canals short, open.
Type Species: Fusus trossulus Conrad, 1832
(~Urosalpinx trossulus
of authors), Yorktown Formation of Virginia and North Carolina.
Other Species in Trossulasalpinx
Description: Shell small for genus, fusiform, with high protracted spire; body whorl and spire whorls ornamented with 15-20
strong, vertical ribs that are, in tum, intersected by 12-15 equallystrong spiral ribs; large beads produced at junction of vertical and
spiral rib; fine spiral thread present between each pair of spiral
ribs; aperture small, oval; inner edge of lip with 8-10 large, rounded teeth.
Etymology. Named forDr, Emily Vokes of Tulane University,
New Orleans, in recognition of her pioneer work on the systematics of the American Cenozoic muricid gastropods.
Paleoecology: Trossulasalpinx vokesae, and the genus as a
whole, probably lived under and among coral rubble in shallow
water and fed upon small sessile bivalves and barnacles.
Discussion: Trossulasalpinx cohesae is similar to the sympatric
Ticurtus (DALL, 1890) (Plate 4, Figures 8,9), but differs in being a
smaller, much more slender shell with coarser, more regular
ornamentation The beads on T curtus are more elongated in
shape, while those of T vokesae are more knob-like and well
defined.
At the contemporaneous Buckingham shell beds at Sarasota
(Macasphalt Pit Mine Number 0800826; PETlICH, 1982), the
closely-related T'.subsidus (Dall, 1890) is very common, along with
several other un-named species. Interestingly enough, both T curtus and T vokesae are absent from the predominantly lagoonal and
deltaic environments of Sarasota. This implies that there may
have been ecological partitioning within Trossulasalpinx, with
T subsidus and the un-named species living in estuarine and
neritic environments and with T vohesa« and T curtus living on
coral reefs.
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1. Trossulasalpinx vokesae new species, reef facies of the Buckingham Formation, southern Florida.
2. Trossulasalpinx eurtus (Dall, 1890), Buckingham Formation.
southern Florida (Plate 4, Figures 8,9).
3. Trossulasalpinx subsidus (Dall, 1890), Buckingham and Caloosahatchee Formations, southern Florida; Duplin Formation, North
Carolina: Waccamaw Formation, North and South Carolina.
4. Five undescribed species from the Buckingham Formation at
Ft. Basinger and Sarasota, Florida.
Discussion: This genus of fusiform, beaded, small muricids has
generally been consigned to the genus Urosalpinx Stimpson, 1865
by most malacologists from DALL(1890: 148-149) to OLSSON and
HARBISON (1953: 253-254). Trossulasalpinx differs from Urosalpinx, however, in being consistently more fusiform in outline and
by lacking the characteristic strong varices and varical blades.
Trossulasalpinx also lacks the fimbriations and foliations seen on
Urosalpinx and has, instead, the characteristic rows of beads.
Morphologically, Trossulasalpinx is similar to the early Miocene
genusMiocenebra E. Vokes, 1963, but differs in having consistently lower spires and in having open siphonal canals instead of
closed canals. Trossulasalpinx appears to have arisen in the late
Miocene and became extinct in the early Pleistocene. having remained morphologically conservative and biogeographically confined to the southeastern United States throughout its entire
stratigraphic range.
Trossulasalpinx vokesae new species (Plate 4, Figure 6, 7)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 19 mrn, width, 10 mm, MCZ29223
PARATYPES: 3 specimens, lengths 15-22 mm, MCZ29234.
Muricopsinae
genus Muricopsis Bucquoy, Dautzenberg, and Dollfus, 1892
Muricopsis lyonsi new species (Plate 4, Figures 12, 13)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 28 mrn, width 1:3 mrn, MCZ29224.
Description: Shell very elongated, spire 11/2 times length of
body whorl and siphonal canal; 6 large, prominent varices per
whorl; varices with 15-25 short spines and abundant small scales,
giving varices frilly appearance; aperture oval, small in proportion
to total shell size; sip banal canal short, open; intervarical areas
with numerous low, scaly cords.
Plate 4. (Facing page) Gastropods and Coelenterates of Zones 2
and 3. (Diploria- Gorgonian Zone and Porites-Septastrea Zone).
Figure 1. Septastrea crassa (Holmes, 1858). SpecimenH mm in
diameter. Figures 2 and S. Urosalpinx suffolkensis Gardner. 1948.
Dorsal and ventral aspects of specimen, length :12 mm. Figures 4
and5. Urosalpinxphrikna Gardner and Aldrich. 1919. Dorsal and
ventral aspects of specimen, length 16 mm. Figures 6 and 7.
Trossulasalpinx vokesae new genus and new species. Dorsal and
ventral aspects of holotype, lengtb 19 mrn, MCZ29223. Figures 8
and 9. Trossulasulpinx curtus (Dall, 1890). Dorsal and ventral
aspects of 27 mm specimen. Figure 10. Dermomurex engonatus
(Dall, 1890). Ventral aspect of24 mm specimen. Figure 11. Septastrea marylandica (Conrad. 1841). Specimen length 79 rnrn,
MCZ292:19. Figures 12 and 1:1. Muricopsis lyonsi new species.
Dorsal and ventral aspects of holotype, length 28 mm, MeZ
29224. Figures 14 and 15. Attiliosa. uiaacensis new species. Dorsal
and ventral aspects of holotype, length 15 rnrn, MCZ29222.
Figure 16. Porites [urca!a Lamarck, 1816. Fragment. length 26
mm.
Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 2, No.4, 1986
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J ourn al of Coastal Resear ch, Vol. 2, No.4, 1986
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Etymology: Named for Mr. William Lyons, Florida Department
of Natural Resources, St. Petersburg, Florida, in recognition of his
many contributions to Caribbean malacology.
Paleoecology: As in the living Muricopsis species, M lyonsi probably lived under blocks of coral rubble on the shallow reef platform and fed upon small sessile bivalves.
Discussion: Muricopsis lyonsi is closest to the Recent Caribbean
M oxytatus (M. Smith, 1938), but differs in lacking the large varical spines of the modern species and in having, instead, large varical scales.
Thaididae
Rapaninae (?)
genus Ecphora Conrad, 1843
Ecphora striatula new species (Plate 3, Figure 15, 16)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 31 mm, width 29 mm, MCZ29225, from
lower units of Buckingham Formation in Macasphalt Pit Mine
Number 0800826, Newburn Road, Sarasota, Florida.
PARATYPE S: 2 fragments; one ofthe spire, length 11 mm, one
piece of rib, length 10 mm, MCZ29235, both from Bird Road
site, Miami.
Description: Shell inflated, thin for genus, with four prominent
ribs; ribs thin, bladelike, with edges flattened; rib along shoulder
flat, horizontal in orientation; anterior three ribs tipped downward;
areas between ribs and along spire ornamented with numerous,
conspicuous, fine raised cords; siphonal canal long, well-developed,
ornamented with numerous large, raised spiral cords; umbilicus
open Jut narrow; outer calcitic layer of shell reddish-brown in
color with ribs being darker.
Etymology: In reference to the shell ornamentation of many fine
spiral cords that differentiates this new species from closelyrelated forms.
Paleoecology: Based upon morphological similarities to living
thaidids of the subfamily Rapaninae, Ecphora may have also had
the same ecology - feeding on small bivalves and barnacles, drillingthem in the same manner as do members of the family Muricidae
and the subfamily Thaidinae,
Discussion: Although only two fragments of the new Ecphora
species were found in Miami, the discovery of this" Chesapeake
Miocene" genus from as far south as the tip of Florida is an
interesting biogeographical range extension. A fairly complete
specimen of Ecphora striatula had previously been collected from
the Buckingham Formation in the Macasphalt pit mine in Sarasota, and this specimen is designated as the holotype. The ribs on
the spire fragment from Miami are of the same thickness, shape,
and color as those of the holotype, so the Miami fragments are here
considered to represent the same species.
Ecphora striatula is closest to E. ouadricostata (Say, 1826),
which is restricted to the Yorktown Formation of Virginia and the
Carolinas, but differs in the following ways; by having thinner ribs
that lack the T-shaped distal flange, by having the three anterior
ribs tipping in a downward (anteriorward) direction instead of
being horizontal in orientation, and by being heavily ornamented
with small raised cords between the ribs and on the siphonal canal
Ecphora quadricostata is a smooth shell, lacking any cording between the ribs or on the siphonal canal. Poorly-preserved specimens of what may be the new species have also been collected,
embedded in a dense limestone, in the stratigraphically higher
Tamiami Formation in Collier County, Florida. The fragment
illustrated by OLSSON and PETIT (1964; Plate 82, Figure 7) (as
"Ecphora quadricostata umbilieata 'J from the" Pinecrest Beds"
(~Buckingham Formation) at Brighton, Florida, appears to be
Ecphora striatula.
Fasciolariidae
genus Latirus Montfort, 1810
Latirus miamiensis new species (Plate 3, Figures 1, 2)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length:l5 mm, width 16 mm, MCZ29226, (holotype incomplete, missing spire).
Description: Shell elongated, fusiform, thick and heavy; whorls
ornamented with 11 thick, prominent, elongated vertical ridges
that resemble varices; vert.ical ridges int.ersected and overlaid by
12 well-developed spiral cords; cord along shoulder larger than
ot.hers, producing angled sboulder; siphonal canal long, welldeveloped, bearing 7 st.rong spiral cords; aperture oval in shape,
wit.h 7 raised cords on int.erior of lip; labial cords break up into
beads along edge of lip; columella wit.h 3 weak plications.
Et.ymology: Named for Miami, Florida.
Paleoecology: Like all members of the genus Latirus; L miamiensis lived on and among coral and rock rubble in shallow back
reef areas, feeding on small bivalves and gastropods.
Discussion: Latirus miamiensis most closely resembles L.
angustatus Gabb, l8n from the Gurabo Formation of t.he Dominican Republic (reillust.rated, in better quality, by PILSHRY, 1922:
Plat.e 26, Figure 1), but differs in baving a coarser sculpture of
larger spiral cords and in having a sharply-angled shoulder.
Columbellidae
genus Parametaria Dall, 1916
Parametaria lindae new species (Plate 3, Figure 9, 10)
Mat.erial Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 2:3 mm, width 12 mm, MCZ29227.
PARATYPE: Length 17 mm, MCZ29n8.
Description: Shell t.hin, biconical in outline; shoulder close to
sut.ure, well-developed, sharp-edged; spire whorls protracted,
scalariform; protoconch mamillat.e, protracted, bulbous, composed of 11/2 whorls; ant.erior half of body whorl and siphonal canal
ornament.ed with prominent. spiral cords; posterior half of body
whorl and spire whorls smooth; aperture narrow, flaring at post.erior end, producing posterior canal; apertural side of lip with 1215 st.rong lirae; color pattern (preserved on one of paratypes)
composed of large vertical, evenly spaced flammules with clear
band around mid- body, similar to color pattern of Recent P macrostoma (Reeve, 1858).
Et.ymology: Named for my wife, Linda ,J. Petuch, who collected
the holot.ype.
Paleoecology: As in the two known living species of Parametaria, P lindae probably lived under coral slabs and large rocks
and fed upon ectoprocts, hydroids, and other small, encrusting
invertebrates.
Discussion: Parametaria lirulae is the first member of the genus
to he collected in Florida or the southeast.ern United Stat.es. The
new species is very close to P prototypus (Guppy, 1867) (reillustrat.ed by JUN(i, 1969: Plate 52, Figures 1, 2) from the Pliocene
Springvale Formation of Trinidad, especially in the st.ructure of
the sharp-angled shoulder, the posterior canal, and the anterior
sculpture. Parametaria lindae differs from its southern Caribbean
congener. however, in being a more slender shell with a much
higher spire,
Mitridae
genus Mitra Lamarck, 1798
subgenus Scabricola Swainson, 1840
Mitra (Scabricola) lindae new species (Plate 3, Figures
Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 2. No.4, 1986
:" 4)
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407
Pliocene Reefs of Miami
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length 22 m m (incomplete), MCZ29228.
PARATYPE: 2 fragments, (spire) 15 mm and (body whorl) 26
mm, MeZ 292:l6.
Description: Shell elongated, thickened; spire high, stepped,
with incised suture; body whorl ornamented with 1;3-15 large vertical ribs that are, in turn, intersected by 9-12 large thick, spiral
cords; large, elongated bead formed where rib and cord intersect,
giving shell surface beaded appearance; cord along shoulder larger than other spiral cords, producing well-developed and angled
shoulder and spire whorls; columella with 3 large plications and 1
small anterior plication; aperture narrow.
Etymology: Named for my wife, Linda ,J. Petuch in recognition
of her invaluable help in collecting study material from several
research sites around Florida.
Paleoecology Like living Scabricola species, Mitra lindae probably lived under coral rubble and rocks and fed upon interstitial
polychaete worms on the main reef platform.
Discussion: Mitra (Scabricola) lindae is the first member of this
subgenus of reef-loving mitrids ever recorded from the Pliocene of
Florida and the southeastern United States. The closest contemporaneous western Atlantic species is M (Scabricola) rudis Gabb,
187:3 from the Gurabo Formation of the Dominican Republic, but
the new Floridian species differs in having a much coarser beaded
sculpture and in having an angled, well-developed shoulder. The
closest morphology toM. (Scabricola) lindae is seen in the Recent
M (Scabricola) rupicola Reeve, 1844 and M (Scobricola) muricata Broderip, 18;16, both of the Panarnic Province, which share
the same large vertical ribs and sharp-angled shoulder.
Conidae
genus Conus Linnaeus, 1758
Subgenus Virgiconus Iredale, 1945
Conus (Virgiconus) miamiensis new species (Plate 3,
Figures 11, 12)
Material Examined
HOLOTYPE: Length :32 mrn, width 20 mm, MCZ29229.
PARATYPE: length 22 rnm, MCZ292:17.
Description: Shell classically conical in outline, thickened; spire
flat, with shallow groove running between edge of shoulder and
suture; protoconch mamillate; shoulder distinctly rounded; body
whorl ornamented with numerous fine, spiral threadlike cords,
producing silky surface texture; aperture uniformly narrow.
Etymology Named for Miami, Florida.
Paleoecology: As in the small Virgiconu» species of the Recent
Indo- Pacific, C. (Virgiconus) miamiensis lived among coral rubble
in the back reef environment and fed on polychaete worms.
Discussion: The finding of a fossil Virgiconus in southern
Florida was a totally unexpected discovery. This group of reefloving cones is, in the Recent, confined to the Indo-Pacific region
and has never been recorded from the eastern Pacific (Panamic) or
Atlantic Oceans, either as a fossil or living species. A still unnamed and closely-related species has recently been collected
from the Pliocene Gurabo Formation of the Dominican Republic
(Basel Museum of Natural History), and this seems to have been
the closest relative to C (Viruiconus) miamiensis. Characteristically, this group of cones, as typified by the Recent C. (Virgiconus) [laoidus Lamark, 1810, C. (Virgiconus) emaciatus Reeve,
1849, C. (Virgiconus) [rigidus Reeve, 1848, C. (Vir/iiconus) terebra
Born. 1778. and (' (Vir/iiconus) thomasi Sowerby, 1881, lives on
the reef platform and lagoon areas be bind the reef and is a hard
substrate-loving offshoot of the larger, sand-dwelling C. (Vir/iiconus) virgo Linnaeus - 17!)R, C (Virgiconus) coclinae Crosse,
18SS species complex. I have found C (Virf.ticonus) omaciatus and
C. (Virgiconus) [lauidus exposed on algae-covered reef platforms
and beach rock ridges at low tide in the Fiji Islands, where they
were feeding on small interstitial polychaete worms. It is presumed that C. (Virgiconus) miamiensis lived in a similar habitat or
in slightly deeper water, as does C. (Virgieonus) terebra.
Besides the un-named fossil species from the Dominican
Republic, C. (Virgiconus) miamiensis is closest to the Recent C.
(Virgieonus) thomasi from the Red Sea and to C. (Virgiconus)
emaciatus from the southwestern Pacific. The shell sculpture,
rounded shoulder, flattened spire, and narrow aperture of the
Floridian fossil is virtually identical to those features of the living
Indo- Pacific species. The new fossil species differs from those living species, however, in being a squatter, less elongated shell
without the slight constriction around the midbody.
Conus (Virgie onus) miamiensis, along with Vitularia linguabison,
represents the last vestiges of old Tethyan stocks in Florida
Already by the late Pliocene, their distributions were probably
relictual in nature, as these old groups found a final haven in the
United States along the Miami reef tract.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I especially thank Mr. David Brown, president of
the Miami Mineralogical and Lapidary Guild, for
discovering the Bird Road site and for helping me
collect large suites of study material. I also thank
the following for their help in collecting and for their
generous donations of valuable material: Mr. and
Mrs. David Pugh, their daughter Terri, Mr. Steven
Sparks, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert McNaughton, all
of Miami, Mr. Jack Spengler, Boyton Beach, Florida,
Mrs. Frank Diegel and her daughter Pamela, West
Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Keaton,
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Mr. and Mrs. William
Lyons, St. Petersburg, Florida, Mr. and Mrs. Lee
Kremer, Crystal Lake, illinois, Dr. StevenM. Stanley,
The Johns Hopkins University and last, but not
least, my wife Linda, who found numerous undescribed species. The excellent photographs were
done by Dr. M.G. Harasewych, National Museum
of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Mrs.
Ana Cortada typed the manuscript. Special thanks
also to Mr. John J. Nemethy, director of Land
Development and Engineering, Arvida Southern
Inc., and to the Arvida Co., Inc. for allowing us the
opportunity to conduct field research at the Lakes
of the Meadows site.
LITERATURE CITED
BENDER, M.L. 1972. Notes on the Fauna of the Chipola
Formation -- IX. Helium-Uranium Dating Studies of
Corals. Tulane Studies in Geology and Paleontology
10(1): 51-52.
DALL, W.H., 1890. Contributions to the Tertiary Fauna of
Florida. Part I, pp. 148-149. Philadelphia: Wagner Free
Institute of Science.
GARDNER, ,J. in Parker, G.G., G.E. Ferguson, and S.K
.Iouma l of Coastal Research, Vol. 2, No.4, 1986
408
Petuch
Love. 1955. Water Resources in Southern Florida. United
States GeologicalSurvey, Water-Supply Paper 1255,7081.
JUNG, P., 1969. Miocene and Pliocene mollusks from
Trinidad. Bulletins of American Paleontology, 55(247),
293-657.
KEROHER, G., 1966. Lexicon of Geological Names of
the United States for 1936-1960, part 3 (P-Z). United
States Geological Survey Bulletin 1200-3029.
MANSFIELD, W.C., 1939. Notes on the Upper Tertiary
and Pleistocene mollusks of peninsular Florida. State of
Florida Department of Conservation, Geological Bulletin, 18, 17-33.
MEEDER, J.F., 1979. AField Guide with Road Log to the
Pliocene Fossil Reef of Southwest (sic) Florida. Miami;
Miami Geological Society, 1-19.
MEEDER, J.F., 1980. New information on Pliocene reef
limestones and associated facies in Collier and Lee
Counties, Florida.In: P.J. Gleason (ed.), Water, Oil; and
Geology of Collier, Lee, and Hendry Counties. Miami:
Miami Geological Society, 27-30.
OLSSON, A.A., 1967. Some Tertiary Mollusks from South
Florida and the Caribbean. Ithaca: Paleontological
Research Institution, 5-61.
OLSSON, A.A., 1968. A review of Late Cenozoic stratigraphy of southern Florida. In: R. D. Perkins (ed.), Late
Cenozoic Stratigraphy of Southern Florida - A Reappraisal. Miami: Miami Geological Society, 66-82.
....
OLSSON, A.A. and HARBISON, A., 1953. Pliocene
mollusca of Southern Florida. Academy of Natural
Sciences of Philadelphia, Monograph 8, 1-409.
OLSSON, A.A. and PETIT, R.E., 1964. Some Neogene
mollusca from Florida and the Carolinas. Bulletins of
American Paleontology, 47(217), 511-575.
PETUCH, E.J., 1979. A new species of Siphocypraea
(Gastropoda: Cyraeidae) from northern South America
with notes on the genus in the Caribbean. Bulletin of
Marine Science, 29(2), 216-225.
PETUCH, E.J., 1981. A relict Caenogastropod fauna
from northern South America. Malacologia 20(2), 307347.
PETUCH, E.J., (in press). The Pliocene reefs of Miami
with notes on the Floridian Pliocene reef-associated
molluscan Fauna. Geology of Florida (Miami Geological
Society), Memoir 3.
PILSBRY, H.A., 1922. RevisionofW.M. Gabb'sTertiary
molluscan of Santo Domingo. Proceedings of the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 73-(2), 305-435.
SWAYZE, L.•J. and MILLER, WL., 1984. Hydrologyofa
zone of secondary permeability in the surficial aquifer of
eastern Palm Beach County, Florida. Us. Geological
Survey, Water Resources Investigations Report 83-4249,
1-39.
TUCKER, H.I. and WILSON, D., 1933. A second contribution to the Neogene paleontology of south Florida.
Bulletins of American Paleontology, 18(66),65-83.
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•Journal of Coastal Research. VoL 2. No.4, 1986