sedimentary

Tabulate Coral Fossil (Favosites)

Favosites (Commonly known as Honeycomb Coral)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness: 3-4 (calcite) or 6.5-7 (if silicified); Color: Tan, beige, grayish-brown; Luster: Dull to waxy; Structure: Closely packed polygonal (hexagonal) tubes called corallites; Cleavage: None.

Hardness: 3-4 (calcite) or 6
Color: Tan, beige, grayish-brown
Luster: Dull to waxy

Identified June 23, 2026More sedimentary →

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Physical properties

Hardness: 3-4 (calcite) or 6.5-7 (if silicified); Color: Tan, beige, grayish-brown; Luster: Dull to waxy; Structure: Closely packed polygonal (hexagonal) tubes called corallites; Cleavage: None.

Formation & geological history

Formed through the fossilization of marine colonial coral organisms in warm, shallow seas. Most specimens range from the Ordovician to the Devonian periods (approx. 488 to 360 million years ago).

Uses & applications

Scientific study, educational specimens, lapidary use (if silicified/agatized), and decorative collecting.

Geological facts

Unlike modern corals, tabulate corals had no septa (the radiating vertical plates in the tubes). They went extinct at the end of the Permian period during the 'Great Dying' mass extinction.

Field identification & locations

Look for a honeycomb-like pattern on the surface or cross-section. Commonly found in limestone outcrops, riverbeds, and gravel pits across the Midwestern United States and Central Europe.