The Echinoid Directory

Granobrissoides Lambert, 1920, p. 26

[=Lissospatangus Mortensen, 1950, p. 162, type species L. hirsutus Mortensen, 1950; = Amoraster McNamara & Ah Yee, 1989, p. 178, type species Amoraster paucituberculata McNamara & Ah Yee, 1989]

Diagnostic Features	Test ovate without anterior sulcus; depressed in profile with keeled sternum. Apical disc ethmolytic with four gonopores; central. Gonopores on inner half of genital plates. Anterior ambulacrum narrow and flush aborally; pore-pairs small and undifferentiated. Paired ambulacra petaloid. Petals bowed with wide interporal area. Adapical portion of anterior column of pore-pairs rudimentary in anterior petals. Petals closed distally; pore-pairs conjugate. Peristome D-shaped and downward-facing. Labral plate elongate - extended to second ambulacral plate. Episternal plates paired and forming rear part of plastron; strongly contracted posteriorly. Periproct on posterior slightly undercut face. Subanal fasciole present; shield-shaped. Peripetalous fasciole present; narrow; not indented behind anterior petals; bounding outer end of petals. Aboral tuberculation rather fine and uniform - no primary tubercles.
Distribution	Late Oligocene to Recent, Australia.
Name gender	masculine
Type	Gaultieria australiae Cotteau, 1889, p. 328, by original designation.
Species Included	G.australiae (Cotteau, 1889); Late Oligocene-Early Miocene, Australia. G. paucituberculata (McNamara & Ah Yee, 1989); Middle to Late Miocene, Australia. G. tuberculata (McNamara & Ah Yee, 1989); Lower Miocene, Australia. G. hirsutus (Mortensen, 1950); Recent, Australia.
Classification and/or Status	Spatangoida, Micrasterina, Maretiidae. Presumed monophyletic.
Remarks	The shorter labrum and complete lack of aboral primary tubercles distinguishes this taxon from Eupatagus. Cotteau and Lambert & Thiery related this taxon to Gualtieria but, although occasional specimens show the odd pore-pair below the peripetalous fasciole, the petals are never bisected by the peripetalous fasciole as they are in Gualtieria. The type specimen and additional material have been recently described in detail by McNamara et al. (1986). McNamara et al. treat the modern Lissospatangus as a subjective synonym. McNamara, K. J., Philip, G. M. & Kruse, P. D. 1986. Tertiary brissid echinoids of southern Australia. Alcheringa 10, 55-84.