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Name:
Agaricocrinus americanus w/ Onychaster flexilis
Age: Mississippian
Formation: Edwardsville Formation
Location: Crawfordsville, Indiana
Size: Plate is 4.5" X 6.7"
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Here is a fabulous crinoid/starfish association plate that tells a story. This is an excellent specimen of Agaricocrinus americanus from Crawfordsville, Indiana. This particular species is larger and has longer arms than the more common Agaricocrinus splendens. This crinoid has excellent color and is very 3-dimensional. The stout arms display the pinnules very nicely. There is also a nice lenght of stem still attached. Now the story begins. A very dark, unusual starfish, Onychaster flexilis, is entwined within the crinoid. Some people postulate that the starfish was trying to eat the crinoid. However, most authorities are convinced that this association represents a true symbiotic relationship between the two organisms. The starfish lived off the excrement produced by the crinoid. In doing so, the starfish cleaned up the environment so that the crinoid could keep living - crinoids must live in a very clean environment or they perish. This fossil starfish displays very fine detail. The plate structure is clearly defined - even the tube feet of the organism can be seen. The fossils have great color and superb contrast with the tan-grey matrix. The inflated crinoid is wonderfully centered on the large, displayable plate of siltstone. The starfish, by itself, is a rare find. To have a crinoid in association with the starfish shows a unique chapter fn the fossil record, with two different organisms literally living together.
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