Harpes perradiatus Devonian Trilobite from Morocco

Looking like some Devonian copy of the Starship Enterprise, this elegant example is a member of the newly-erected (2002) Order Harpetida, with many fine details present. Notice the fine pitting of the preglabellar ring. This one was well able to stay at the surface of the seafloor by virtue of the dramatically curving “shield”. It has been prepared to allow for easy viewing of the body which is partially enrolled. The dramatic cephalic shield has been prepared freestanding, showing this fine example to best advantage. Such painstaking preparation required long hours of work that rendered a life-like portrayal of this unusual trilobite.

Also see: Moroccan Trilobites