Early Ordovician Chitinozoa from Spitzbergen

Five chitinozoan species, Conochitina exilis n. sp., C. kryos n. sp., C. poumoti Combaz & Peniguel 1972, Lagenochitina boja n. sp., and L. esthonica Eisenack 1955, are described from the Ordovician (Arenig-? Llanvirn) Valhallfonna Formation at Ny Friesland, Spitsbergen, using scanning electron microscopy. Morphological variation within species includes substantial variability in length. Both species of Lagenochitina possess a prosome and an operculum. The distribution of species seems to be facies dependent, and varies in accordance with trilobite faunas. Abundance of chitinozoans and numbers of species are low compared with other recorded occurrences. The distribution of species is compared with that in faunas from Estonia, Sweden, England, Western Australia, and Eastern New York