User:Kaarel/sandbox/Brittle star
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brittle stars (also called serpent stars, Ophiuroidea) are a class of echinoderms, related to starfish. The ophiuroids generally have five long slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to 60 centimeters (2 feet) in length on the largest specimens. They crawl across the sea-floor using their flexible arms as "legs" for locomotion.
Quick Facts Brittle Star, Scientific classification ...
Brittle Star | |
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"Ophiodea" from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur, 1904 | |
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Class: | Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840 |
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Ophiuroidea contains two large clades, Ophiurida (brittle stars) and Euryalida (basket stars). Many of the ophiuroids are rarely encountered in the relatively shallow depths normally visited by humans, but they are a diverse group.
There are more than 2000 species[1] of brittle stars living today, and many of them are found in deep waters more than 500 metres (1,650 feet) down.