New records of the cyrtocrinid crinoids Cyathidium gastaldii (Michelin, 1851) and Holopus spileccense (Schlüter, 1878) from Eocene strata in Veneto, north-east Italy

A Middle Eocene (Lutetian) crinoid fauna from outcrops of the ‘Calcari Nummulitici’ Formation in ‘Cava Boschetto’ near Chiampo (Vicenza, eastern Lessini Mountains) is recorded. Crinoid cups and brachials were recovered from ruditic tuffites that were deposited on a carbonate ramp. Among the crinoids encountered (columnals of isocrinids and rhizocrinids, cups of cyrtocrinids, conocrinids and rhizocrinids), rare stemless forms that were confined to hard bottoms (holopodids) are particularly distinctive. In the present note, we record a few cups of Cyathidium gastaldii and brachials of Holopus spileccense. The former constitutes the first record of this species from Eocene rocks in Europe, while brachials of H. spileccense are the first to be described of this species; they show a close resemblance to those of an early Ypresian (Early Eocene) species from Corbières, southwest France.