''Agaricocrinus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

crinoid Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea. Crinoids that are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk in their adult form are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, which are ...

s, belonging to the family Coelocrinidae. These stationary upper-level epifaunal suspension feeders lived in the

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonifero ...

period and in the

Osagean The Mississippian ( , also known as Lower Carboniferous or Early Carboniferous) is a subperiod in the geologic timescale or a subsystem of the geologic record. It is the earlier of two subperiods of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly ...

age of United States, from 353.8 to 345.0 Ma.

Selected species

*''

Agaricocrinus americanus ''Agaricocrinus americanus'', the mushroom crinoid, is a species of extinct crinoid, known only from its fossils, which are found in the U.S. states of Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. They date back to the Lower Mississippian, about 345 millio ...

'' Roemer *''

Agaricocrinus splendens ''Agaricocrinus'' is a genus of extinct crinoids, belonging to the family Coelocrinidae. These stationary upper-level epifaunal suspension feeders lived in the Carboniferous period and in the Osagean age of United States, from 353.8 to 345.0 M ...

'' Miller and Gurley

Description

extant Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...

crinoids, ''Agaricocrinus'' species was anchored to a hard surface by a holdfast out of which grew an articulated stalk. On top of this was a calyx with a number of feather-like arms. Each arm bore short branches known as pinnules and from these cirri were extended which sifted plankton from the water flowing past.

References

Prehistoric crinoid genera Carboniferous crinoids Extinct animals of the United States {{paleo-crinoidea-stub