ðɪs ɪnˈɪʃəl dˌɛzɪɡnˈeɪʃən hˈæzbiːn ɹᵻfjˈuːɾᵻd; sˌʌm spˈɛsɪmənz hɐvbɪn ʃˈoʊn təbi ðə hˈoʊldfæst ʌv sˌʌm ˈɔːɹɡənˌɪzəm, ðə mˈeɪn bˈɑːdi ʌvwˈɪtʃ ɛkstˈɛndᵻd ˌɪntʊ ðɪ ˈoʊpən wˈɔːɾɚ bˌʌt bɹˈoʊk ˈɔf bᵻfˌoːɹ fˌɑːsɪlᵻzˈeɪʃən ɐ fjˈuː spˈɛsɪmənz bˈɛɹɪŋ stˈʌbz ʌv stˈɔːks əpˈoʊzd tə ðə sˈɛntɹəl pˈɪmpəl səpˈoːɹt ðˈɪs; wˈɛɹæz ˈʌðɚz ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛnt maɪkɹˈoʊbɪəl kˈɑːləniz.
This initial designation has been refuted; some specimens have been shown to be the holdfast of some organism, the main body of which extended into the open water but broke off before fossilization (a few specimens bearing stubs of stalks opposed to the central pimple support this); whereas others represent microbial colonies.