Brittlestar

Picture of Brittlestar

Description of the Brittlestar

The Brittlestar also known as the Serpent Star is closely related to the starfish and appears hairy but is in fact covered with fine spines. It can move across the ocean floor using its large 'arms' to propel it. It can be white, brown or red in color.

Facts - Information - Video - Picture

Popular Name: Brittlestar
Species: Ophiothrix fragilis

Picture of a Brittlestar

Brittlestar

Profile of the Brittlestar
This Profile contains interesting facts and information about the Brittlestar species.

  • Size: Central Disk - Up to 2cm, Each arm can be up to 60cm

  • Habitat: Sand or gravel, at a depth of up to 350m

  • Range: Eastern Atlantic

Scientific Classification of the Brittlestar
Definition: Scientific classification, or biological classification, is how biologists group and categorize species of organisms with shared physical characteristics. Scientific classification belongs to the science of taxonomy.

  • Species: Ophiothrix fragilis

  • Popular Name: Brittlestar Serpent Star

  • Kingdom: Animalia

  • Phylum: Echinodermata

  • Class: Ophiuroidea

  • Order: Ophiurida

  • Family: Ophiothricidae

Interesting Information about Sea Anemones
Sea Anemones are named after the Anemone flower. They are a predatory animal that releases a toxin to paralyse its prey. The prey is then moved into the anemones gastro vascular cavity. The poison secreted by a sea anemone affects fish and crustaceans. The Clown Fish or Anemonefish however has a mutually symbiotic relationship with the sea anemone, they are not affected by its poison and live among its tentacles, indeed laying their eggs on the anemone itself. The clownfish uses the sea anemone as a form of defence from larger predators.

Sea Anemones - Anatomy - Brittlestar
The sea anemone has just one external opening. This single opening acts as both a mouth and an anus. All waste and undigested material is excreted through this opening. A sea anemone has no sense organs, its nervous system is very primitive but it does have nerves and muscles. The anemone doesn't have a skeleton, it keeps itself stable by closing its mouth enabling it to stay rigid.


Sea Anemones - Movement - Brittlestar
Can a sea anemone move? Although sea anemones usually remain static, they can use their pedal disc to move slowly flexing their body or using their tentacles to swim slowly to another location. They can attach themselves to a rock, the sea bed or the shell of a crustacean, a hermit crab for example. A sea anemone will only move location if they are attacked by a predator or the conditions of the water are unsuitable.

Interesting Facts and Information about Brittlestar

Brittlestar

  • Interesting Information about Brittlestar

  • Facts about Fish Species - Can a Brittlestar move?

  • How does the Brittlestar catch its prey?

  • Facts about Fish Species - Does the Brittlestar have a skeleton?

  • Species: Ophiothrix fragilis

Fish Species

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