CRINOID FOSSILS (SOLNHOFEN)

Crinoids, sometimes commonly referred to as sea lilies, are animals and not plants. They are echinoderms related to starfish, sea urchins, and brittle stars. Crinoids are marine filter feeders that have a collection of branching arms on top of a stem. While most spend their lives fixed to the bottom of the ocean, some are free swimming or capable of crawling. Their calcium carbonate skeletons make great detailed fossils.