The ichnogenus Balanoglossites Mägdefrau, 1932 is a common constituent of firmground ichnofabrics in shallow-marine carbonates of the Middle Triassic Germanic Basin, from where it has been known for about 220 years. Despite its basin-wide distribution, this characteristic trace fossil only rarely has been recognised elsewhere. Instead, such burrows have been assigned to different ichnotaxa, foremost among them the superficially similar ichnogenus Thalassinoides Ehrenberg, 1944. A rigorous application of ichnotaxobases as defined in their diagnoses and evidenced by their type material, relevant ichnospecies such as Balanoglossites triadicus Mägdefrau, 1932 and B. ramosus Knaust, 2008 can be distinguished from Thalassinoides suevicus (Rieth, 1932) and T. paradoxicus Kennedy, 1967. Balanoglossites is assumed to be produced by polychaetes, whereas Thalassinoides results from the activity of crustaceans. A review of the literature together with new observations from 87 stratigraphic units reveals that Balanoglossites is a very common constituent of mainly monospecific ichnofabrics in carbonates and has a wide distribution in shallow-marine environments from the Ediacaran throughout the Phanerozoic. Its distinction from similar ichnotaxa, such as Thalassinoides, increase its value as facies indicator and for sequence-stratigraphic analysis.

该遗迹属Balanoglossites Mägdefrau，1932年是在中三叠世日耳曼盆地的浅海相碳酸盐firmground ichnofabrics的共同组成部分，从那里已经知道了约220年。尽管它分布在整个盆地，但这种特征性的痕迹化石很少在其他地方被发现。相反，这些洞穴已被分配给不同的ichnotaxa，其中最重要的所述表面上类似遗迹属Thalassinoides藻1944 A作为在他们的诊断定义并由其类型材料证明ichnotaxobases的严格应用，相关的ichnospecies如Balanoglossites triadicus Mägdefrau，1932和B. ramosus Knaust, 2008 可以区别于Thalassinoides suevicus (Rieth, 1932) 和T. paradoxicus Kennedy, 1967。假设Balanoglossites是由多毛类动物产生的，而Thalassinoides 则是由甲壳类动物的活动产生的。对文献的回顾以及来自 87 个地层单元的新观察结果表明，龟头长纹石是碳酸盐岩中主要单一特定层状结构的一种非常常见的成分，并且在埃迪卡拉纪整个显生宙的浅海环境中广泛分布。它与类似的鱼纲（例如Thalassinoides）的区别增加了其作为相指示符和层序地层分析的价值。