Paraconocrinus rodriguesensis, Roux & Thuy & Gale, 2025

Paraconocrinus rodriguesensis n. sp.

Fig. 5A–E View FIGURE 5

Type material: 6 aboral cups (holotype OPH207 , 1 figured paratype OPH208 , 4 paratypes OPH209 not figured).

Etymology : from sediment off the island of Rodrigues, western Rodrigues Ridge.

Diagnosis: species with aboral cup regularly inverted conical of height usually slightly greater than diameter (Hc/Dc 1.03 to 1.31), diameter lesser than 0.75 mm, basals slightly higher than radials and ratio central adoral depression to radial ring diameter 0.47 to 0.55. Arm and stalk unknown.

Type locality: Mascarene Plateau , western Rodrigues Ridge, Indian Ocean.

Description of the type series: Aboral cup height (Hc) up to 0.80 mm and diameter (Dc) up to 0.72 mm, ratio Hc/Dc varying from 1.03 to 1.31 independently to growth ( Table 5 View TABLE 5 ), ratio adoral to maximum diameter (Dp/ Dc) 0.30–0.35. Like the holotype, all cups inverted conical, basals indistinct ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ) sometimes underlined by discreet sutures ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ), basals slightly higher than radials, coarse interradial adoral ribs separating oval muscular synarthries ( Fig. 5E View FIGURE 5 ). Central depression of adoral face without basal plug, hemispherical in holotype ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ) to more flared like in paratype 1 ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ); ratio central depression to radial ring diameter 0.47 in holotype and 0.55 in paratype 1.

Remarks: According to Roux et al. (2019), the presence of coarse interradial ribs developed up to the outer edge of adoral face excludes that these small cups are juveniles of Cherbonniericrinus pliocenicus n. sp. described above. Paraconocrinus was identified from the Eocene and the Early Miocene of southern France and northeastern Italy ( Merle & Roux 2018; Roux et al. 2019; Roux & Philippe 2021). The material described herein extends its stratigraphical distribution to the Pliocene. The genus remains unknown in extant fauna.

Occurrence: Indian Ocean, western Rodrigues Ridge at a depth of 1460 m (biotope possibly shallower).