Chrispaulia wrightorum, Gale & Jagt, 2021

Gale, Andy S. & Jagt, John W. M., 2021, The fossil record of the family Benthopectinidae (Echinodermata, Asteroidea), a reappraisal, European Journal of Taxonomy 755, pp. 149-190 : 175

Chrispaulia wrightorum sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DC13434F-62E3-47A9-9F62-327F77141670

Fig. 13F–G

? Benthopecten sp. – Spencer & Wright in Moore 1966: U48.

Diagnosis

Chrispaulia with smooth marginal ossicles, in which the distal superomarginals possess a single large spine pit close to their distal, abactinolateral border.

Etymology

After the late brothers C.W. and E.V. Wright, who collected the specimen.

Material examined

The arm fragment ( NHMUK PI EE 17997 ) from the Albian Red Chalk (Hunstanton Formation) at Speeton, Yorkshire (United Kingdom) is the holotype and single specimen known to date. The specimen was originally articulated; it was subsequently reconstructed on plasticene by the Wright brothers.

Description

Arm elongated, narrow; supero- and inferomarginals opposed, shortening rapidly distally ( Fig. 13F–G). Superomarginals bearing single, distally directed, crater-like spine base on distal, abactinolateral margin. Supero- and inferomarginals smooth, grooves for cribriform organs between infero-/superomarginal pairs poorly defined.

Remarks

Chrispaulia wrightorum sp. nov. differs from all congeners in the smooth marginal ossicles, lacking rugosities.