Gorgeous Double Brittle Stars | Palaeocoma egertoni | England

Specimen 1 approx. size: 4" x 3.75"

Specimen 2 approx. size: 2" x 2"

Matrix approx. size: 9.75" x 7.75" x 3"

Approx. weight: 10 lbs.

Palaeocoma egertoni are rarely seen members of the class Ophiuroidea. This duo are stunning examples of the rarely seen taxon.

Brittle Stars or Ophiuroids (aka Serpent Stars) are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea which are closely related to starfish. They generally have five long, flexible, slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to 24 inches in length on the largest specimens, they use these for locomotion to crawl across the sea floor. Over 2,000 species of brittle stars live today with more than 1200 of these species found in deep waters, at greater than 200m deep.