Receptaculites is the name-bearing genus for an extinct group of conspicuous benthic marine genera, the receptaculitids (formally Receptaculitaceae or Receptaculitidae), that lived from the Early Ordovician through the Permian period, peaking in the Middle Ordovician. The group's phylogenetic origin has long been obscure, with some arguing that they were calcareous algae, probably of the order Dasycladales.
Receptaculites is the name-giving genus for an extinct group of prominent benthic marine genera, the receptaculitids (formally Receptaculitaceae or Receptaculitidae), which existed from the Early Ordovician through the Permian period, reaching their peak during the Middle Ordovician. The lineage's evolutionary origins have long been unclear, with some suggesting they were calcareous algae, likely belonging to the order Dasycladales.