Brittle Stars
CLASS OPHIUROIDEA
SPECIES OF Brittle Stars
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ANATOMY OF Brittle Stars
OVERVIEW
Brittle stars are exactly as their name suggests – they are star-shaped, and very brittle! They belong to the class Ophiuroidea.
KNOW YOUR STARS!
Brittle stars are not the same as their more well-known cousins, the sea stars! Unlike sea stars, which have arms that are broadly connected to their central disc, brittle stars have thinner and longer arms that can be clearly distinguished from their central disc.
SNAKE-LIKE ARMS!
Brittle stars have long and slender arms, which wave and wriggle around in a snake-like manner. That’s why the scientific name for brittle stars is Ophiuroidea, which means “snake tail” in Greek! By pushing and pulling with their flexible arms, brittle stars can move around relatively quickly in the intertidal zone.
THEY ARE CALLED BRITTLE STARS FOR A REASON…
Brittle stars are brittle because their long and thin arms break off easily! Sometimes, brittle stars can purposely detach their arms to escape from predators, like how some lizards can break off their tails when threatened. Fortunately, just like lizards, brittle stars can regenerate their lost arms, but this uses up a lot of energy, so please don’t handle brittle stars!