Salterella is an enigmatic Cambrian genus with a small, conical, calcareous shell that appears to be septate, but is rather filled with stratified laminar deposits. The shell contains grains of sediment, which are obtained selectively by a manner also observed in foramanifera. The genus was established by Elkanah Billings in 1861, and was named after the English palaeontologist John William Salter. The genus is known from multiple locations worldwide, such as Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec in Canada, Svalbard, the Scottish Highlands and Argentina. The related fossil genus Volborthella was formerly placed in synonymy with Salterella by Ellis L. Yochelson in 1983, due to the similarities between the two genera. However, Volborthella was later accepted as a separate genus again by Yochelson & Kisselev in 2003. Both genera are currently placed in the Salterellidae family in the phylum Agmata.
†Salterella acervulosaResser & Howell, 1938: A species that is abundant in the Kinzers Formation in Pennsylvania, but specimens of it are not well preserved.
The following species were formerly placed in Salterella, and have since been moved to other genera:
†"Salterella" obtusa Billings, 1861: This Middle Cambrian species was moved to the genus Hyolithes d'Eichwald, 1840, and renamedHyolithes billingsiWalcott, 1886. It was later moved again to Linevitus Syssoiev, 1958.
†"Salterella" billingsiSafford, 1869: A Middle Ordovician species of Salterella from the Murfreesboro Limestoneformation in Tennessee described by James M. Safford in 1869. However, T. H. Clark considered it distinct from other Salterella fossils, creating the genus Polylopia Clark, 1925 to encompass it.
†"Salterella" hardmani Etheridge in Foord, 1890: This Middle Cambrian species was described from the Ord Basin of Northern Territory, Australia. It was moved to the genus BiconulitesTeilhard, 1931. Much later, the genus Guduguwan Kruse, 1990 was created to contain it.
†"Salterella" planoconvexa Tate, 1892: A species described from South Australia. It belongs in Hyolitha.
