Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)

Welcome to Wessex Fossils > Fish,Sharks and In the Oceans > Crustaceans, Molluscs And Other

Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)
  • Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)
  • Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)
  • Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)
  • Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)
  • Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)

  • Ophuroidea sp. Protostar, Ordovician, (Brittlestar, starfish)

  • Measurements approx- 150mm x 110mm x 20mm at the widest points.
  • £70.00
Each fossil is one of a kind, but a similar fossil may still be available to purchase.

Found- Mount Boutshafrin, Nr Alnifi, Morocco, North Africa.

They appear in the fossil record during the Ordovician about 450 million years ago. Brittle Stars are closely related to Starfish and appear in the fossil record around the same time. Starfish and Brittle star fossils are not common as both disintegrate quickly after death. I cannot stress how rarely such a well preserved fossil of this species is. The soft body ring is clearly visible and the detail of the legs is just clear. Brittlestars do not ingest food through the arms like typical starfish but instead ingest food through a central ring of teeth which also acts as the anus.