Echinoderms

Product Description

Echinoderms are a phylum of exclusively marine invertebrates that includes sea urchins, starfish, crinoids (sea lilies) and their extinct relatives, unified by a distinctive five-fold radial symmetry and a skeleton built from calcite plates. Their fossil record stretches back to the early Palaeozoic, making echinoderms a key group for teaching both invertebrate biology and long-term evolutionary change in the marine fossil record.

This specimen set provides genuine fossil echinoderm material, allowing students to examine plate structure, symmetry, and preservation directly rather than relying on textbook diagrams alone. It is well suited to lessons connecting living echinoderm biology to the fossil record and to general invertebrate palaeontology teaching.

Product Details

Applications

• Demonstrating five-fold radial symmetry in marine invertebrates
• Comparing calcite plate structure across different echinoderm groups
• Linking living echinoderm biology to their long fossil record
• Building a reference collection for invertebrate palaeontology practicals

Care & Handling

• Handle specimens by their base or sturdiest section; plate structures can be fragile at thin edges.
• Store in a padded, compartmented tray to prevent specimens knocking against one another.
• Avoid acidic cleaning solutions, which readily dissolve calcite skeletal material.
• Dust gently with a soft brush; avoid soaking or prolonged water contact.

Why Choose LabEquip

LabEquip supplies genuine fossil and mineral specimens for school and college earth-science programmes, described accurately for classroom teaching. Explore more specimens in our Educational Rock and Minerals category, read about our approach on About Us, or contact our team via Contact Us for institutional orders.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are echinoderms?

Echinoderms are a phylum of marine invertebrates, including sea urchins, starfish and crinoids, characterised by five-fold radial symmetry and a skeleton made of calcite plates.

2. Why is radial symmetry significant for teaching biology?

Five-fold radial symmetry is unusual among animals and helps students understand how body plans evolved differently across major animal groups, making echinoderms a useful comparative example.

3. How old is the echinoderm fossil record?

Echinoderms first appear in the fossil record in the early Palaeozoic era, over 500 million years ago, and have persisted with major diversification and extinction events since.

4. Are these genuine fossils?

Yes, these are genuine fossil specimens, not artificial reproductions, giving students the opportunity to examine authentic echinoderm skeletal material directly.

5. What age group is this set suited for?

It is suitable from middle school introductions to invertebrate biology through to introductory undergraduate palaeontology coursework.

6. How should specimens be stored between lessons?

Keep specimens in a padded, compartmented tray, handled by their sturdiest section, and avoid stacking or pressing on thin plate edges to prevent damage.

Last Updated: September 2026