Morphology and palaeoecology of a new edrioblastoid from the Furongian of China

A new edrioblastoid Cambroblastus guolensis is described from the Furongian (late Cambrian) Sandu Formation (South China). This represents the second occurrence of a Cambrian edrioblastoid, and the first ever reported from Asia, extending the palaeogeographic range of this very rare echinoderm grade. Surprisingly it preserves a complete stem and a distal holdfast suggesting edrioblastoids were hard substrate attachers living in soft bottom quiet environments.