Waagenoconcha is an extinct genus of echinoconchid brachiopod that lived during the Carboniferous and Permian periods.
Palaeobiology
Life history During its juvenile stage of ontogeny, Waagenoconcha abichi had its shell attach itself to a foreign object. During the adult stage of life history, W. abichi lay in a sedimentary substrate with its ventral valve positioned downwards. Its corona of spines around the visceral disc anchored it and functioned as a baffle that trapped sediment that then banked around the shell. The spines also had an effect similar to a snowshoe, helping the brachiopod to avoid sinking too far into the substrate.
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