Figure 4
From: Overcoming the fragility – X-ray computed micro-tomography elucidates brachiopod endoskeletons
Eucalathis sp. (Chlidonophoridae) – ZMB Bra 2351. Ventral valve = top & dorsal valve = bottom. Click here to download a 3D model of Eucalathis sp. (interactive PDF). A) left: Dorsal valve with ventral valve in the background; right: Interior of the dorsal valve, with the short looped brachidium (purple), the endoskeleton of the lophophore (black arrow) with spicules of the tentacles (white arrow). B) left: Ventral valve; right: Interior of ventral valve showing the incomplete foramen. C) Anterior view (top) and lateral views (middle and bottom) through transparent shell with ventral valve on top, showing the dense lophophoral endoskeleton of the schizolophous lophophore (le), spicules within the tentacles (st) and a few median, slender and rather loose spicules with dorsoventral orientation in the dorsal mantle (arrow). D) Anteroventral view of lophophoral endoskeleton with faint spiculation of the dorsal mantle (sdm), bottom: “virtually purged” lophophoral endoskeleton to visualise the geometrical nature, the smaller, inner ring rests on the short looped brachidium. E) Cross section through spicules of a tentacle.