Layered Porous Growth - Coral?

[ncuke]

Hi everyone! I know this is a fossil posting site and this is not fossilized, but I'm curious to tap your minds to see what this may be. I have looked online but can't find any answers. Is this coral? It's grown on top of a large clam shell. If you look closely, you'll see that it's almost like a honeycomb, and appears to grow in layers.

 

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[ARC]

It appears to be a a type of coral growth... but this really seems an odd type of coral structure / anatomy.

 

[islamoradamark]

LOOKS like coral to me

 

[Red-Coat]

The tiny punctate dots and the general growth pattern look far more characteristic of a sheet-form or sea-mat bryozoan to me, but encrusted on something else which has given it that overall shape. That something else could well be coral or any number of things. The surface not shown (the southwest of your picture) appears to have a distinct rim running round it. Any more clues from that un-shown area?

 

[DDancer]

Years ago I was told that what you have there are the remains of a type of sponge. They look pretty neat especially if there are a lot of worm runs thru them.

 

[Planko]

Can you take a picture of the underside (other side) and at level with it sitting on something?

 

[ncuke]

Thanks everyone - Unfortunately I don't have it anymore, but it took on the shape of the top of the clamshell it was growing on - maybe a few areas where it grew slightly higher. I have found several other specimens that just look like gray blobs. I thought of sponge too but have never seen a calcified structure like this from a sponge. I may reach out to someone at UNC Wilmington marine bio department to ask them.

 

[Planko]

Ok, reason I was asking for the pictures is I think it is part of the shell. That is just my humble opinion. Here in Texas, where I normally hunt, there are numerous large oysters. When tossed around in the river they get pretty beat up. Some of them have areas that are worn down that have a resemblance of yours. Especially the Cretaceous ones.

Once again, just my opinion with the pictures shown.