The Echinoid Directory

• Test globular; plating thick and tesselate, not imbricate.
• Composed of 15 columns of hexagonal ambulacral plates; two columns of perforated plates alternating with a single column of imperforate plates (interpreted as perradial).
• Apical disc composed of five large ?genital plates plus five small, insert and imperforate plates (?oculars) at the top of each column of imperforate plates. None of these plates with obvious pores. A ring of wedge-shaped periproctal plates lies within the apical disc circlet.
• Perforate ambulacral plates hexagonal forming a column on either side of imperforate plates. Plating simple with large central pore-pair that lies fully enclosed on each plate and is surrounded by a distinct elevated rim. One or more perforate and non-crenulate tubercles abut the rim aborally.
• Imperforate plate zones a single column of uniform hexagonal plates, without tubercles.
• Peristome small, with wedge-shaped elements surrounding the opening; the imperforate column of plates not reaching the peristomial opening.
• Lantern very unusual in structure; composed of 10 rod-like ?hemipyramids and adoral wedge-shaped denticles.
• Spines small, straight and confined to the perforate ambulacral plates; lacking cortex.

Middle to Upper Ordovician, North America, eastern and northern Europe.

Bothriocidaris globulus Eichwald, 1860, p. 655, by subsequent designation of Lambert & Thiery 1910, p. 118.

• B. globulus Eichwald, 1860; Upper Ordovician, Estonia.
• B. maquketensis Kolate, Strimple & Levorson, 1977; Cincinnatian, Upper Ordovician, Iowa, USA.
• B. eichwaldi Mannil, 1962; Caradoc, Estonia.
• B. parvus Mannil, 1962; Caradoc, Estonia.
• B. pahleni Schmidt, 1874; Caradoc, Estonia.
• B. kolatai Kier, 1982; Middle Ordovician (Bromide Formation), USA.
• B. solemi Kolata, 1975; Caradoc (early Burrellian), USA.
• B. vulcani Guensburg, 1984: Caradoc (early Burrellian), USA.

Stem group Echinoidea; Bothriocidaridae.

No phylogenetic analysis of species has been published.

Unibothriocidaris differs in having a single, rather than a pair of pores piercing the perforate ambulacral plates, and there are more than two columns of pore-bearing plates in each zone. In Neobothriocidaris one of the pair of pores is sutural, shared between two adjacent plates, whereas in Bothriocidaris both pores in the pore-pair are situated in the centre of each plate.

Eichwald 1860. Lethaea Rossica 5, p. 654.

Mannil, R. 1962. [The morphology and taxonomy of Bothriocidaris (Echinoidea)]. Ensv Teaduste Akadeemia Geologia Instituudi Uurimused 9, 143-190 [in Russian with English summary].

Paul, C. R. C. 1967. New Ordovician Bothriocidaridae from Girvan and a reinterpretation of Bothriocidaris Eichwald. Palaeontology 10, 525-541.

Rhebergen, F. 1990. Een  Bothriocidaris in een Ordovische zwerfsteen van Wilsum (B.R.D.). Grondboor en Hamer 1990, 50-52.

Eggink, R. G. 1991. Vondstmelding van een Bothriocidaris te Westerhaar. Grondboor en Hamer 1991, 7-9