Description
Florida Eupatagus Echinoid
- Eupatagus antillarium
- Eocene Age (55.8 to 33.9 million years ago)
- Ocala, Florida
- This beautiful white fossil echinoids measures 2.33″ long
- MORE Fossil Echinoids for Sale
Echinoids are covered by spines when alive: these are generally lost when the dead animal is tossed about in the tidal zone, so common fossils such as these examples lack the spines. Some forms are flattened, hence the popular terms “sea biscuit” and “sand dollar”.
Sea urchins are a type of echinoderm which is still alive and living relatively unchanged today. They live at the bottom of soft ocean floors and have long spines protruding from their central body. They move along the bottom of the ocean using many small feet while feeding on various plant and animal matter on the bottom.