An extinct genus of stemless or short-stemmed crinoids (marine animals related to starfish) from the Paleozoic era, distinguished by their lack of arms or reduced arm structure.
From Greek 'agelastos' (not laughing) or 'a-' (without) + 'gelas' (laughter), combined with 'krinon' (lily) and '-ites' (stone/fossil suffix). The name reflects 19th-century paleontological nomenclature emphasizing structural features.
Agelacrinites had such a weird body plan—no arms, just a blob-like cup sitting on the seafloor—that ancient paleontologists named them with a Greek reference to something gloomy, showing how weird creatures get weird names!
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