Gordia carickensis (Smith, 1909)

Gordia carickensis (Smith,1909 )(Figs. 4A, C, 5A, B, 6E) is a very thin, about 0.1 mm wide, and consists of densely looped grooves or ridges. Some segments are more stretched and show a winding course (Fig. 5B).

According to Walker (1985), Mermia is distinguished from Gordia by its “ less worm-like [appearance] and its tendency to intensive looping”. This opinion is confirmed by Buatois and Mángano (1993a), who, however, found intergradations between Mermia and Gordia. The differences between Mermia and Gordia are insignificant.They can be expressed at the ichnogenus level. The same opinion was expressed by Pickerill and Peel (1991, p. 20), who noted that the neotype of Mermia carickensis (Walker, 1985, fig. 8)“...very close resembles G. marina and a case could reasonably be made to regard it as a junior synonym ”. Gordia marina Emmons (1844), however displays less dense looping and a magnitude lager size. Therefore, we would like to include Mermia carickensis Smith (1909) in Gordia Emmons (1844) but separate it from G. marina Emmons (1844).