Starfish fossils
Interesting, and instantly recognisable – what more can you ask for?
Starfish are star shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea – not to be confused with brittlestars – ophiuroids.
Starfish are ancient creatures, with the earliest fossils being found in the Ordovician, around 450 million years ago. A starfish-like creature called Cantabrigiaster fezouataensis dates to around 480 million years ago and is likely a link between crinoids and starfish.
The fossil record is, however, quite patchy – with starfish often disintergrating after death leaving only ossicles and spines.
Starfish belong to the class Asteroidea, in the phylum Echinodermata – echinoderms.
One genus of starfish frequently found for sale online is Petraster – a genus that lived from the upper Ordovician to the late Silurian. They are found worldwide but specimens from Morocco are widely available online.
Starfish are closely related to brittlestars, creatures in the class ophiuroidea. It is certainly possible for them to be confused, and we do often see specimens from Eype, Dorset missold as starfish.
The sinosura from Solnhoften, Germany are also often sold as starfish but are again brittlestars.