Living brachiopods from NW Australia

Living brachiopods are common in southern Australian waters but remain poorly known off NW Australia. In material from this region, housed at the Western Australian Museum in Perth, nine species belonging to eight genera were identified. The dominant species is the endemic Australian Jaffaia jaffaensis, here recorded for the first time from the northern coasts. The brachiopod assemblage from NW Australia differs significantly in species composition from those of southern and eastern Australia and shows affinities with Indo–NW Pacific brachiopod faunas, reflecting the existing pattern of oceanic currents.

Figure: Brachiopod species from NW Australia (from the left): Lingula anatina, Frenulina sanguinolenta, Jaffaia jaffaensis (three views: dorsal, anterior, and lateral).