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Here's an actual fossil of an opabinia.

Funnily, the closest living relative of opabinia is probably the tardigrade.

Tardigrades are tiny, near-microscopic invertebrates which are found all over the world. They're also famous for being incredibly resilient, being able to survive things which would kill most other animals instantly – including extremes of temperature and pressure, dehydration, air deprivation, and radiation exposure. In experiments, they've even survived brief exposure to space.

@InvaderXan
LOVE tardigrades! Even before Star Trek gave them their deserved moment in the spotlight.

@solarpunkgnome
I don't remember that episode? Which show was it on?

@anne
OMG there’s a zoo of microbes??

@InvaderXan
It's excellent - most of the exhibits are stereo microscopes looking at live cultures prepared in the lab (you can watch). The microscopes are servo-controlled so the public can follow microbes around and focus up and down but can't wreck the machine.

@anne Oh, that’s delightful. I need to visit this place!

@InvaderXan
Next to the zoo and about two blocks from the botanical garden.

@InvaderXan i wanna post like this again but i havent had the eneryg

@daylight
All in time, friend. Whatever you can, whenever you can. I'm just... excitable, I guess. :P

@wu_lee
Oh, interesting. Late Carboniferous. Interesting little beastie, I hadn't heard of it before!