Reinterpretation of Baltic Ordovician Heckerites multistellatus Rozhnov, 1987 as a possible paracrinoid based on new material

The monotypic genus Heckerites Rozhnov, 1987, that was found in the Upper Ordovician of Estonia, is redescribed on the basis of new findings. The morphology of the ambulacral system, peristome, the structure and the position of the hydropore, gonopore, and periproct are described in detail. In the morphology of this genus the features of eocrinoids and paracrinoids are unusually combined. Nevertheless, the analysis of these features points to a possible assignment of this genus, and hence the monotypic family Heckeritidae Rozhnov, 1987 based on this genus, to paracrinoids.