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The Echinoid Directory

Subfamily Coenholectypinae Smith & Wright, 1999

Diagnosis

 Holectypidae with:

  • all five genital plates in the apical disc perforated by a gonopore;
  • no internal buttressing.
Range
Early Cretaceous (Aptian) to Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian); worldwide.
Remarks
Although a couple of species of Discoidinae have all five genital plates perforated by gonopores, these have well developed internal buttressing and clearly have evolved a fifth gonopore independently. Coenholectypinae lack internal buttressing and evolved from taxa currently placed within the genus Holectypus.