Epibionts on Shells of Early Famennian Brachiopods of the Khantagi River Basin (Central Kazakhstan)

The first finds of epibionts on brachiopod shells from the Khantagi Formation (Lower Famennian) of the Khantagi River basin (northwestern Karatau, Central Kazakhstan) are discussed. Bryozoans, representatives of the class Tentaculita (microconchids and cornulitids), and craniid brachiopods are identified among these epibionts. Of them, bryozoans and microconchids were found on the shells of all brachiopod species. Their presence does not depend on the sample size of a particular species of brachiopods under study. Cornulitids are found on shells of three species, and craniids only on Athyris kiltitalica. The proportion of shells with bryozoans varies from 12 to 22.2% of the total number of specimens studied. The proportion with microconchids is from 0.7 to 12.3%, with cornulitids, from 1.3 to 3.7%, and with craniids—7.6%. The obtained data generally indicate that fouling organisms commonly used brachiopod shells as a substrate. This also shows a relatively significant number of settlers in paleobiocenoses, with a clear predominance of bryozoans.