''Rastellum'' is an extinct genus of molluscs, which lived from the

Middle Jurassic The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from about 174.1 to 163.5 million years ago. Fossils of land-dwelling animals, such as dinosaurs, from the Middle Jurassic are relatively rare, but geological formations co ...

to the Late Cretaceous.IRMNG
/ref> This species is also known as ''Arctostrea carinata''.

Subtaxa

Species within this genus include:Fossilworks
/ref> * †''Rastellum (Arctostrea) '' Pervinquiere 1910 * †''Rastellum allobrogensis'' Pictet and Roux 1853 * †''Rastellum deshayesi '' d'Orbigny 1853 * †''Rastellum diluvianum'' Linnaeus 1767 * †''Rastellum ricordeana'' d'Orbigny 1850

Fossil record

Fossils of ''Rastellum'' are found from the Middle Jurassic until the Late Cretaceous (age range: from 161.2 to 66.043 million years ago.).Sepkoski, Jac
Sepkoski's Online Genus Database
/ref> They are present in the Cretaceous marine strata throughout the world, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Gabon, Germany, India, Iran, Italy,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Kazakhstan, Libya, Madagascar, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Spain,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and United States. They can also be found in the Jurassic marine strata of India,

, Mexico and Poland.

Description

The shells of molluscs of ''Rastellum'' species can reach a length of about . These oysters had a narrow-valved, tubular shell, which was composed of regularly alternating sharp ridges and deep folds. The vulnerable commissure (along which the valves meet) was sunk.

Lifestyle

This genus inhabited warm waters, where it cemented itself with the pointed vertebrae to shells or corals. Oysters belonging to the genus ''Rastellum'' were ecology: stationary epifaunal suspension feeders.

References

* (1993) - ''Fossielen: Sesam Natuur Handboeken'', Bosch & Keuning, Baarn. ISBN 90-246-4924-2 {{Taxonbar, from=Q3264741 Ostreidae