Hadroconus

Hadroconus is a genus of extinct marine gastropods (snails) belonging to the family Euomphalidae. These fossil snails are characterized by their large, low-spired, and often flattened or discoidal shells. The shells typically exhibit a wide umbilicus (the opening at the base of the shell) and may have complex ornamentation, including ribs, nodes, or spiral cords.

Hadroconus species are found in marine sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age, particularly from the Ordovician and Silurian periods. They are valuable index fossils, assisting in the correlation and dating of geological strata. Due to their relatively large size and distinctive morphology, Hadroconus fossils are relatively easy to identify compared to some other gastropod fossils. However, precise species-level identification can be challenging due to variations in ornamentation and shell shape, often requiring detailed paleontological analysis. Studies of Hadroconus provide important insights into the diversity and evolution of early gastropods and the marine environments they inhabited.