Ophiothrix spiculata

Ophiothrix spiculata, the western spiny brittle star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It is found along the Pacific coast of North and South America from below the San Francisco Bay to Peru.^[1] Individuals come in a variety of colors, although usually with orange longitudinal stripes on the arms, and the body can measure up to 2 cm across.^[1] This species was first described by J. L. Le Conte in 1851.^[2]

Ophiothrix spiculata
Colima, Mexico, 2023
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Ophiuroidea
Order:	Ophiurida
Family:	Ophiotrichidae
Genus:	Ophiothrix
Species:	O. spiculata
Binomial name
Ophiothrix spiculata (LeConte, 1851)