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

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Hemiaster sp

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)

Segment of Ophiuroid Arm

Ophiuroid Lateral Arm Plate

Ophiuroid Arm "Vertebra"

CRINOIDEA - ARTICULATA

Order: ISOCRINIDA Sieverts-Doreck, 1952

Family: ISOCRINIDAE Gislén, 1924

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

Cirri of Nielsenicrinus

Late Albian, Upper Gault - Bed X "H. varicosum" Subzone: Sample F/13

Centrodorsal of Glenotromites aequimarginatus (Carpenter)

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

Styracocrinus PECK, 1955

Calyx of Styracocrinus peracutus (Peck)

Late Albian - Upper Gault - upper D. cristatum Sz Wrotham, KENT - Sample PF/04/95