GAULT ECHINODERMATA
Next to the Foraminiferida and Ostracoda, disarticulated parts of the animals comprising the Echinodermata (echinoids, asteroids, ophiuroids, comatulids, roveacrinoids and isocrinids) are the most commonly found fossils in residues washed from bulk-samples. Complete but invariably crushed tests of the heart-shaped echinoid Hemiaster asterias Forbes and H. bailyi Forbes occur throughout the Lower Gault, most frequently in Beds III, VI and VII. The regular echinoid Polydiadema wiltshirei (Wright) is a Lower Gault species; and Typocidaris gaultinus (Forbes) is characteristic of Bed X. Columnals and other parts of the isocrinid Nielsenicrinus cretaceus (Leymerie) (=Pentacrinus fittoni of authors) are also found in Bed X. The mobile Comatulids Glenotremites aequimarginatus (Carpenter) and Paleocomaster leveni (Carpenter) occur in the Gault of Folkestone and the micro-crinoid Styracocrinus peracutus (Peck) is common in Beds III and X..
 
On this page only a few of the representative echinodermata are illustrated by way of example of what can be found.
All images have been made using a Nikon 990 CoolPix digital camera attached to a Meiji EMZ-TR Microscope and cleaned up in Paintshop Pro V. 5
 
ECHINACEA
Order: SPATANGOIDA Claus, 1876
Family: HEMIASTERIDAE Clark, 1917
Class: STELLEROIDEA Lamarck, 1816
Subclass: ASTEROIDEA de Blainville, 1830
Starfishes
Terminal Plate of unidentified Starfish (Asteroidea)
Terminal Plate of unidentified Starfish (Asteroidea)
Dorsal plate of unidentified Starfish (Asteroidea)
Ambulacral of unidentified Starfish (Asteroidea)
Subclass: OPHIUROIDEA Gray, 1840 - (Brittle Starfishes)
Ophiuroid Lateral Arm Plate
Segment of Ophiuroid Arm
Ophiuroid Arm "Vertebra"
 
Order: ISOCRINIDA Sieverts-Doreck, 1952
Family: ISOCRINIDAE Gislén, 1924
CRINOIDEA - ARTICULATA
Nielsenicrinus cretaceus (Leymerie)
part of a columnal (centre) and articular face of internodals (either side) Late Albian, Upper Gault - Bed X "H. varicosum" Subzone: Sample F/13
Order: COMATULIDA A.H. Clark, 1908
  
Superfamily NOTOCRINACEA Mortensen, 1918

Centrodorsal of Glenotromites aequimarginatus (Carpenter)

Middle Albian - Lower Gault - A. intermedius Sz Sample: PF/05/95 - Wrotham, KENT

Cirri of Nielsenicrinus Late Albian,

Upper Gault - Bed X "H. varicosum" Subzone: Sample F/13
 
Family ROVEACRINIDAE Peck, 1943
Styracocrinus PECK, 1955
Calyx of Styracocrinus peracutus (Peck)
Late Albian - Upper Gault - upper D. cristatum Sz Wrotham, KENT - Sample PF/04/95
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