A rare deep-sea basket star, Astrocyclus caecilia . This species is one of several hundred echinoderms that have been collected at depths between 300 and 3,000 feet in the Caribbean Sea.
Numerous species are of commercial value or are used to monitor seawater pollution.
Within our collection all living classes are covered, including Asteroidea, Crinoidea, Echinoidea, Holothuroidea, and Ophiuroidea. Our strongest emphasis is on the Pacific and Caribbean regions. Collection has been studied by the most renowned authorities on echinoderm biology, has provided the basis for classic monographic publications, and continues to support impor-tant research. Numerous government-sponsored environmental survey collections carried out over the past 40 years in a range of depths from Canada to Mexico. Holdings include irreplaceable specimens of historical significance and incorporate the former echinoderm collections of the San Diego Natural History Museum and the Allan Hancock Atlantic and Pacific Expeditions.