Belemnite Opal

Belemnite Opal is an opalized, fossilized squid primarily found in Coober Pedy, South Australia. These fossilized opals, formed over approximately 100 million years, are rare. Belemnites, an extinct order of squid, inhabited the late Triassic to late Cretaceous periods. Unlike modern squid, Belemnites possessed internal skeletons. They were equipped with ten hooked arms for hunting and grasping prey, potentially regenerating up to 800 arms. Belemnites were prolific reproducers, laying eggs ranging from 100 to 1000. While some species thrived in turbulent open oceans, others inhabited calmer seabeds. The largest recorded belemnite measures approximately 70cm in length.