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Fossil Brittle Stars (Ophiura) – Ordovician Draa Valley Morocco, Starfish Plate Specimen

Fossil Brittle Stars (Ophiura) – Ordovician Draa Valley Morocco, Starfish Plate Specimen

Original price was: £36.00.Current price is: £32.40.

A rare and visually striking Fossil Brittle Star Plate featuring multiple Ophiura specimens, preserved in fine marine sediment from the Ordovician Period of the Draa Valley, Morocco. This beautifully detailed slab captures the delicate morphology of ancient echinoderms that lived over 450 million years ago in the warm, shallow seas of what is now North Africa.

Ophiura are part of the class Ophiuroidea, closely related to modern-day brittle stars and starfish. These marine invertebrates are characterised by their central disc and long, flexible arms which they used to scavenge and filter food from the seafloor.

Fossil Type: Brittle Star (Echinoderm)

Genus: Ophiura (tentative)

Geological Age: Ordovician Period (~485–443 million years ago)

Formation: Likely Fezouata or equivalent Ordovician marine formation

Depositional Environment: These fossils formed in a shallow, tropical marine shelf setting with fine-grained calcareous muds. Exceptional preservation is due to rapid burial under anoxic conditions, often associated with storm deposits or microbial mats.

Morphological Features:

  • Central disc with five radiating arms
  • Arms display segmentation and flexible articulation
  • Multiple individuals preserved in natural orientation

Notable:

  • Rare and detailed echinoderm fossil from North Africa
  • Excellent display slab for collectors or educators
  • The exact specimen photographed is the one for sale

Authenticity: All of our fossils are 100% genuine natural specimens and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. Please refer to the image – the scale cube represents 1cm for accurate size reference.

 

This Ophiura brittle star fossil slab from the Draa Valley offers a remarkable glimpse into Ordovician marine life and is a scientifically important and aesthetically beautiful collector’s piece.

(Actual as seen)

Only 1 left in stock

SKU: UF3731 Category:

Description

A rare and visually striking Fossil Brittle Star Plate featuring multiple Ophiura specimens, preserved in fine marine sediment from the Ordovician Period of the Draa Valley, Morocco. This beautifully detailed slab captures the delicate morphology of ancient echinoderms that lived over 450 million years ago in the warm, shallow seas of what is now North Africa.

Ophiura are part of the class Ophiuroidea, closely related to modern-day brittle stars and starfish. These marine invertebrates are characterised by their central disc and long, flexible arms which they used to scavenge and filter food from the seafloor.

Fossil Type: Brittle Star (Echinoderm)

Genus: Ophiura (tentative)

Geological Age: Ordovician Period (~485–443 million years ago)

Formation: Likely Fezouata or equivalent Ordovician marine formation

Depositional Environment: These fossils formed in a shallow, tropical marine shelf setting with fine-grained calcareous muds. Exceptional preservation is due to rapid burial under anoxic conditions, often associated with storm deposits or microbial mats.

Morphological Features:

  • Central disc with five radiating arms
  • Arms display segmentation and flexible articulation
  • Multiple individuals preserved in natural orientation

Notable:

  • Rare and detailed echinoderm fossil from North Africa
  • Excellent display slab for collectors or educators
  • The exact specimen photographed is the one for sale

Authenticity: All of our fossils are 100% genuine natural specimens and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. Please refer to the image – the scale cube represents 1cm for accurate size reference.

 

This Ophiura brittle star fossil slab from the Draa Valley offers a remarkable glimpse into Ordovician marine life and is a scientifically important and aesthetically beautiful collector’s piece.

Additional information

Era

Ordovician
Origin

Morocco

Ordovician Information

The Ordovician Period (485–443 million years ago) was a time of marine expansion and biodiversity growth, following the Cambrian Explosion. Warm, shallow seas covered much of the continents, supporting trilobites, brachiopods, corals, and the first true reefs. Jawless fish (early vertebrates) diversified, and the first sea scorpions (eurypterids) became dominant predators. On land, the first primitive plants (moss-like bryophytes) began colonizing damp environments. The climate was initially warm, but by the late Ordovician, a major ice age caused a drastic drop in sea levels, triggering the Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction, which wiped out nearly 85% of marine species. Despite this, the period laid the foundation for the rise of more complex ecosystems in the Silurian.

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