fossil
Honeycomb Coral Fossil (Favosites)
Favosites (Order Tabulata)
Hardness: 3.5-4 (limestone) or 7 (if silicified/agatized); Color: Tan, cream, or light grey; Luster: Dull to waxy; Structure: Tabular honeycomb-like cells called corallites.
- Hardness
- 3
- Color
- Tan, cream, or light grey
- Luster
- Dull to waxy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 3.5-4 (limestone) or 7 (if silicified/agatized); Color: Tan, cream, or light grey; Luster: Dull to waxy; Structure: Tabular honeycomb-like cells called corallites.
Formation & geological history
Formed during the Silurian to Devonian periods (approx. 419 to 358 million years ago) in warm, shallow marine reef environments. The individual animals lived in the hexagonal tubes visible on the surface.
Uses & applications
Primarily used for geological education, private collections, and occasionally as decorative garden stones or lapidary material if agatized.
Geological facts
Favosites are commonly known as 'honeycomb corals' because the hexagonal arrangement of the corallites strongly resembles a bee's honeycomb. They are extinct colonial corals that helped build massive reefs millions of years ago.
Field identification & locations
Identify by looking for the regular, honeycomb-like pattern of holes or tubes on the surface. Commonly found in the Great Lakes region of North America, particularly in limestone outcrops or along shorelines.
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