Opabinia is an extinct marine creature that lived during the Cambrian period, around 505 million years ago. It is known for its unique body structure, featuring a soft, elongated body and five eyes. Opabinia had a distinctive proboscis, or feeding appendage, which it likely used to capture small prey in the ocean. Fossils of Opabinia have been found primarily in the Burgess Shale formation in Canada. This organism is part of a group called arthropods, which includes modern insects, crustaceans, and spiders. Its unusual features provide valuable insights into the evolution of early life forms on Earth.