Holothurians (Echinodermata) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Baltic Sea area: Part 5. Molpadiidae J. MULLER, 1850

Abstract

The holothurian sclerites Calcligula ansorgei parasp. nov., C costata parasp. nov., C cretacea parasp. nov., C frenzeli parasp. nov., C. gracilis parasp. nov., Priscolongatus parasp., and Prisculatrites sinuatus parasp. nov. from the Early Maastrichtian chalk of the Isle of Rugen (northeastern Germany) and ice dislocated sediments of Maastrichtian age from Western Pomerania are described, figured and discussed within the Recent family Molpadiidae J. MULLER, 1850 (Molpadiida). This is the first record of Calcligula and Priscolongatus in Upper Cretaceous sediments. Similar to Recent species, the presented holothurians are probably permanent in-faunal inhabitants of soft bottom sediments. Furthermore, a short synopsis on the paragenus Calcligula FRIZZELL & EXLINE, 1956 is given.