The Echinoid Directory

Family Gitolampadids

Diagnosis	Cassiduloids with: petals developed, parallel to lanceolate; pore pairs single below petals; peristome sunken, pentagonal, with vertical walled entrance; bourrelets: basicoronal plates short; specialized perioral tubercles and spines confined to vertical walled entrance to peristome; phyllodes only slightly expanded towards peristome, with pores forming a well developed inner and outer series; buccal pores present and contiguous with other pores periproct marginal; longitudinal; narrow naked granular zone often present in interambulacrum 5.
Range	Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) to Eocene, ?Miocene; North America, Europe, North Africa, Middle East, far East, India.
Classification and/or Status	Irregularia, Microstomata, Neognathostomata, Cassiduloida, stem group Formally unnamed taxon
Remarks	Close to Cassidulidae and Echinolampadidae in phyllode and bourrelet structure but differing from both in periproct position and from Echinolampadidae in having a longitudinal rather than transverse periproct. The following genera belong to this group but remain too poorly known to place more specifically. Clypeanthus Cotteau, 1884 Protolampas Lambert, 1918