What are brittle stars?
Q: What are brittle stars?
A: Brittle stars are Echinoderms of the Class Ophiuroidea. They have a skeleton of calcareous plates and radial symmetry.
Q: How are brittle stars different from starfish?
A: Brittle stars are superficially like starfish but they are a different group with different larvae. Unlike starfish, they live deeper in the ocean.
Q: How many different species of brittle stars are there?
A: There are about 1500 different species of brittle stars.
Q: How long can the arms of the largest species of brittle stars grow?
A: The arms of the largest species of brittle stars can grow up to 60 cm long.
Q: Where do brittle stars usually live?
A: Generally, brittle stars live below 500m of depth in the ocean. They are also common members of reef communities, where they hide under rocks and even within other living organisms.
Q: How do brittle stars catch their prey?
A: Brittle stars are mostly scavengers and detrivores, but they are able to catch some small prey on occasion.
Q: What are the two related groups of Ophiuroids and where do they usually live?
A: The two related groups of Ophiuroids are the Ophiurida (brittle stars) and the basket stars (Eurialida). Basket stars usually live in the deeper parts of the range.
