25MM Brittle Star Petraster Starfish Fossil Ordovician Age Blekus Morocco COA

Location: Kataoua Formation, Blekus, Morocco

Weight: 4.6 Ounces 

Starfish Dimensions: 25MM 

Dimension: 2.8 Inches Long, 2.2 Inches Wide, 0.8 Inches Thick (Plate)

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. 

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

Brittlestar Petraster

This intriguing limestone slab was extracted from Middle-Upper Ordovician (about 450 million years old) rocks in the Anti-Atlas part of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. This slab was once part of an ancient seafloor that was uplifted and incorporated into mountains about 80 million years ago, long after the seafloor turned into thick layers of rock.

The fossils preserved in this slab include early echinoderms (spiny-skinned marine invertebrate animals) known as echinoids and ophiuroids (brittle stars). The brittle stars are recognizable, with their five prehensile arms and the compact central body. They look very similar to living species of brittle stars, most of which live in reefs, and shallows near shore and deeper water environments, and feed on small organisms suspended in the water.
Eocrinoids are more unusual, with long, thin, tapering stems and clusters of arm-like appendages at the opposite end. These animals are probably the Eocrinoid Ascocystites, a suspension feeder that would have extracted food directly from the water column, filtering out microorganisms with the help of those appendages.

Although named similarly, eocrinoids bear no close relation to crinoids (sea lilies) and exhibit distinct morphological differences from both ancient and contemporary crinoids. Their elongated stems, akin to those of many fossil crinoids, facilitated attachment to rigid surfaces and likely enabled them to elevate above the seafloor. The fossil reveals a mixture of larger specimens alongside considerably smaller ones, which may represent either juveniles of the larger form or an entirely separate species. Notably, the smaller individuals frequently appear in close association with brittle stars, inviting speculation on whether these brittle stars preyed upon the smaller echinoids.

Please be aware of the nature of fossils:

Being buried under the ground for millions of years under tons of pressure tends to be rough. No fossil comes out of the ground whole and perfect. Most fossils have undergone some restoration, while others are altered by man simply to enhance their presentation in different ways. The workers in Morocco do a very professional job of unearthing and preserving these natural treasures. These are part of the natural beauty of the fossil and are not considered defects.