Detailed Australian Ophiura Brittlestar Fossils

Description: Well-preserved example of a pair of Ophuroids (brittlestars). The Silurian deposits of the region are well-known for the quality of preservation of invertebrate life, with this fine Echinoderm testimony to the degree of preservation attained. Notice that even the pitting for the “hydraulic system” by which the brittlestars moved is in evidence. The Brittlestars and True Sea Stars shared a common ancestor in the Ordovician. Intact starfish specimens are quite uncommon in the fossil record. A pair such as this is a most uncommon occurrence.