Hello all. I have been visiting your website for some time now, and
am particularly fascinated by the fantastic invertebrate (and other)
images posted here in critter identification, as well as by the level of expertise of the several
folks who regularly identify them. I have one
image I would like to submit. It wasn't taken underwater but it is a marine critter, so I hope
that is acceptable. It is a small, common echinoderm similar to a sand dollar but thicker at the edges.
It is sold commercially
for craft work and such, as "sea cookie". If anyone can provide a
scientific name, at least a genus name, I would appreciate it. Also a
general geographic locality (Western Pacific? Caribbean?) would be
helpful if possible. Length of the specimen is 35 mm. Photo is attached.
Secondly, I have been asked to identify all the specimens in a fairly
large seashell collection, based on fair quality photos of the specimens, provided by the owner.
The mollusc shells (98% of the collection) are not
a problem - that's my specialty. However, there are a few other
invertebrate specimens in the collection that are giving me problems -
a seastar, a couple of corals, a few crab carapaces, a couple of strange looking barnacles.
I don't want to post all this ugly stuff on this
lovely forum; but if someone would be willing to take a look at about a
dozen images and see if you recognize any of them, whatever information
you could provide about them would be appreciated. I have posted the
pictures on the web and will gladly email the links to anyone interested;
or I could post the links here if that would be appropriate. If you wish to email me,
PaulCyp@cox.net Thanks.
