sea cookie and a request

Hello all. I have been visiting your website for some time now, and

am particularly fascinated by the fantastic invertebrate (and other)

images posted here in critter identification, as well as by the level of expertise of the several

folks who regularly identify them. I have one

image I would like to submit. It wasn't taken underwater but it is a marine critter, so I hope

that is acceptable. It is a small, common echinoderm similar to a sand dollar but thicker at the edges.

It is sold commercially

for craft work and such, as "sea cookie". If anyone can provide a

scientific name, at least a genus name, I would appreciate it. Also a

general geographic locality (Western Pacific? Caribbean?) would be

helpful if possible. Length of the specimen is 35 mm. Photo is attached.

Secondly, I have been asked to identify all the specimens in a fairly

large seashell collection, based on fair quality photos of the specimens, provided by the owner.

The mollusc shells (98% of the collection) are not

a problem - that's my specialty. However, there are a few other

invertebrate specimens in the collection that are giving me problems -

a seastar, a couple of corals, a few crab carapaces, a couple of strange looking barnacles.

I don't want to post all this ugly stuff on this

lovely forum; but if someone would be willing to take a look at about a

dozen images and see if you recognize any of them, whatever information

you could provide about them would be appreciated. I have posted the

pictures on the web and will gladly email the links to anyone interested;

or I could post the links here if that would be appropriate. If you wish to email me,

PaulCyp@cox.net Thanks.

Hi Paul -- To get an id on an echinoid test go to this collectors website

http://groups.msn.com/EchinoWorld

I suggest doing web searches for similar clubs or dealers for your other problem specimens. Museum curators usually don't want to make guesses about specimens without collecting data - that's an important part of figuring out what they are. Collectors are more willing to give it a try.

Good luck --

Your pictures do not really show enough for me to say much, but then I do not know that much about Echinoderms. But from your description (fat sand dollar) I would guess that you may be looking at something from Order Spatangoida.

I'll ID your corals for you, I'm much better at thouse. I sent you a PM with my email address.

-Will