The Echinoid Directory

• Test ovate with shallow anterior sulcus (may be effectively absent in large individuals). Low domal upper surface and lightly convex oral surface.
• Anterior ambulacrum weakly depressed. Pore-pairs small and relatively widely spaced.
• Petals in other ambulacra narrow and shallowly sunken; parallel-sided and with narrow interporous zone. Anterior and posterior paired petals similar in length. Anterior petals weakly flexed in larger individuals. No occluded plates at tip.
• Periproct large; occupying much of vertically trucnate posterior face. Opening bounded on adoral side by plates 5a5, 5b5.
• Peristome wider than long; kidney-shaped; labrum weakly projecting.
• Labral plate wedge-shaped and tapering to posterior; extending to second ambulacral plate. Episternals forming the posterior part of plastron and tapering to rear.
• Lateral and anterior interambulacral plating amphiplacous.
• Rows of primary tubercles developed within peripetalous fasciole on posterior column of plates in anterior and lateral interambulacra. Smaller tubercles line the frontal ambulacrum and run along the posterior keel aborally.
• Well-developed shield-shaped subanal fasciole.
• Peripetalous faciole present, not deeply indented laterally or posteriorly but deflected towards ambitus anteriorly.

Gillechinus cudmorei Fell, 1964, p. 213, by original designation.

• G. cudmorei Fell, 1964; Late Eocene to Early Miocene, south Australia.
• G. sindensis (Duncan & Sladen, 1884); Eocene, Sind, Pakistan.
• G. alabamensis (Cooke, 1942); Upper Eocene, south eastern USA.
• G. beyrichi (Dames, 1878); Eocene, north Italy.
• G. humei (Fourtau, 1908); early Eocene, Egypt.
• G. lummaui (Castex, 1930); Eocene, south western France.

Spatangoida, Micrasterina, unnamed family.

Presumed monophyletic.

Very close to Brissopatagus, but distinguished by having aboral primary tubercles confined to just the posterior column in each interambulacral zone. Distinguished from the very similar Taimanawa by the lack of an inner fasciole and by the much shallower frontal notch. Most recently redescribed and figured by McNamara et al. (1986). Apoxypetalum is similar in most features, but has shorter and more bowed petals

Henderson R.A. & Fell, H. B. 1969. Taimanawa, a new genus of brissid echinoids from the Tertiary and Recent Indo-West Pacific with a review of the related genera Brissopatagus and Gillechinus. Breviora 320, 1-29.

McNamara, K.J., Philip, G.M. & Kruse, P.D. 1986. Tertiary brissid echinoids of southern Australia. Alcheringa 10, 55-84.