Clusters of shallow pits in gastropod shells from the type area of the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous, the Netherlands)

Close-set, shallow pits are preserved in external moulds of one species each of campanilid and aporrhaid gastropods from coquinas in the uppermost Maastrichtian Meerssen Member (subunit IVf-6) at the former Ankerpoort-Curfs quarry (Geulhem, southern Limburg, the Netherlands). These clustered pits are broad, dish-like, and rounded to polygonal where closely packed; a circular, sunken groove lies within the dish; and a central rounded dome has a central, rounded depression. The producing organism obviously pursued a gregarious lifestyle. These structures are referred to a new ichnotaxon, Salsariichnus collinsi igen. et isp. nov., which is considered to belong to the ethological class of domichnia. It differs in several respects from attachment scars (ichnogenus Lacrimichnus) and deeper embedment structures such as Oichnus excavatus that are known from coeval levels.