Traces (ichnospecies Oichnus paraboloides) of predatory gastropods on bivalve shells from the Seogwipo Formation, Jejudo, Korea

Abstract

Circular to subcircular drill holes were identified on the bivalve shells collected from the Seogwipo Formation, Jejudo, Korea. A great majority of the drill holes (>70%) were found on the surfaces of a bivalve species Glycymeris rotunda. They are characterized by a beveled sharp edge and paraboloid in cross section with larger outer borehole diameter (OBD; mean 4.21 mm) and smaller inner borehole diameter (mean 2.94 mm). Walls of the drill holes are generally smooth, and walls ornamented with etched relief-like structures were also recognized. A slightly raised central boss observed in an incomplete specimen may indicate a failure of predator’s attack. All drill holes collected are classified as a single ichnospecies Oichnus paraboloides Bromley, 1981. They are interpreted as boring traces produced by predatory gastropods, particularly naticid gastropods. Most O. paraboloides boreholes are observed in the central area of shell surfaces; a few boreholes lie marginally, which may reflect a borehole-site selectivity. No correlation between size of prey (shell height) and size of predator (OBD) is recognized. It is likely, however, that drilled shells of about 30 mm in height represent optimal prey size for naticid predators that lived in a benthic Seogwipo community.