sedimentary
Brain Coral Fossil
Family Mussidae or Merulinidae (Order Scleractinia)
Hardness: 3.0-4.0 (Mohs scale), Color: Cream, tan, or grey, Luster: Dull/earthy, Structure: Meandroid (wandering ridges and valleys), Composition: Calcium carbonate/Aragonite
- Hardness
- 3
Identified More sedimentary →
Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 3.0-4.0 (Mohs scale), Color: Cream, tan, or grey, Luster: Dull/earthy, Structure: Meandroid (wandering ridges and valleys), Composition: Calcium carbonate/Aragonite
Formation & geological history
Formed by the accumulation of coral polyps secreting calcium carbonate skeletons in warm, shallow marine environments. Over time, these remain become lithified into fossiliferous limestone.
Uses & applications
Used primarily for ornamental decoration, aquarium landscaping, and as educational geological specimens. In ground form, limestone from such origins provides lime for cement and agriculture.
Geological facts
The name 'brain coral' comes from the resemblance of the colony's surface corrugated ridges to the cerebral cortex of a human brain. These organisms are major reef builders.
Field identification & locations
Identify by a pattern of winding ridges (septa) and grooves. Commonly found in coastal sedimentary deposits and uplifted ancient reefs such as the Florida Keys or tropical island regions worldwide.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite (primarily SiO2)
sedimentary
Shale or Slaty Mudstone
Argillaceous sedimentary rock
sedimentary
Chert Breccia
Brecciated Chert (Microcrystalline Silica)
sedimentary
Sandstone (Quartz-rich)
Arenite (SiO2)
sedimentary
Sandstone (with man-made markings)
Arenite (composed primarily of Quartz, SiO2)
sedimentary