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Name:
Caryocrinites ornatus with Bryozoan Base
Age: Middle Silurian
Formation: Rochester Shale
Location: Middleport, New York
Size: Plate is 6'' X 9'', largest cystoid is over 7'' long
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This is a very special echinoderm fossil. It is a pair of complete Caryocrinites ornatus cystoids from the Silurian Rochester Shale of New York State. This fossil is extremely rare due to the unusual completeness of the cystoids. Both specimens have their array of arms and long stems intact down to the holdfasts, which are attached to a bryozoan colony base. In life, these cystoids ''rooted'' to bryozoan colonies on the sea floor, and positioned their crowns in the currents with their arms open searching for food. Usually, these delicate creatures disarticulated quickly upon Death, leaving behind scattered pieces and parts. But on extremely rare occasions, these colonies were buried so rapidly that the animals were entombed and preserved fully intact. That is the case with this specimen. Both cystoids look like they softly laid down on the sea floor substrate, with their full complement of splayed, pinnulated arms still gathering food! Both specimens also have excellent plate structure preserved on the ball-like thecae. There are also other detailed bryozoans and a large brachiopod fossilized on the plate. This is an absolutely fabulous, one-of-a-kind snapshot of a Middle Silurian sea floor bottom captured in stone.
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