Echinoid (Fossilized Sea-Urchins)

Despite their alien appearance, echinoids, or sea-urchins as they are better known, are very common in the seas and oceans of today and are common fossils too.  Their name derives from the Greek 'echin' ('spiny'), referring to their protective spines and presumably 'ooid' (egg-like) in reference to their globular shell, or test as it is known.

Sea urchins measure approx. 1.5"