Photo: Bernard Picton · Image source ·CC BY-SA 3.0
Animal profile · Other aquatic life · brittle star
Common brittle star
Ophiothrix fragilis
The common brittle star has a small central disc and long, fragile arms lined with spines. It often gathers in huge offshore beds where currents carry food particles.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater
Tide-swept rocky bottoms, sand and shell, reefs, and coarse sediments from the shore to deep water.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not established from the reviewed sources.
Size
Disc about 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) wide; arms several times longer
The central disc is about the size of a pea.
Lifespan
Not established in the wild
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
It is usually nocturnal and may form dense beds containing thousands of individuals per square meter. Its arms are easily shed but can regrow.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Northeastern Atlantic from Iceland and Norway to the Mediterranean and the west African coast.
Regions: British Isles · North Sea · Iceland · Mediterranean Sea · Azores · west Africa
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
It raises its arms into currents and passes collected particles toward its mouth.
Filter feeder: detritus, diatoms, phytoplankton, dead organic matter.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Brittle by design
Its arms can break off readily, a defense that is supported by later regeneration.
Sources [1]
Crowded beds
Offshore aggregations can contain as many as 2,000 individuals in a square meter.
Sources [1]