Aratichnus igen. nov. from the Eocene-aged Baronia Formation, Àger Basin, Lleida, Spain

Aratichnus, new ichnogenus, is described from a lower Eocene-aged, tidally reworked sandstone unit (Baronia Formation) near Baronia de Sant Oïsme, Spain. Aratichnus n. igen. is a horizontal, epichnial furrow ranging from simpler forms that display repeating straight to gently curved grooves to more complex serial furrows paralleling each other. Two new ichnospecies are described, Aratichnus hordeicollis n. isp. and Aratichnus apricuscampus n. isp., that encompass the range of morphological variability exhibited by the ichnogenus. A. hordeicollis exhibits ordered, repeating shapes of furrows, while A. apricuscampus exhibits furrows which do not repeat in shape and direction. We interpret Aratichnus n. igen. as a trace fossil made by an interface deposit feeder exploiting a patchy food source in an intertidal environment.