| Ophionereis reticulata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Ophiurida |
| Family: | Ophionereididae |
| Genus: | Ophionereis |
| Species: | O. reticulata |
| Binomial name | |
| Ophionereis reticulata | |
| Synonyms | |
Ophionereis reticulata, the reticulated brittle star, is a brittle star in the family Ophionereididae. [3] It is found in shallow parts of the western Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Like other brittle stars, Ophionereis reticulata has a small flattened, pentagonal disc and five narrow, elongated arms. The disc can grow to a diameter of 15 mm (0.6 in) and the arms to a length of 120 mm (4.7 in). The aboral (upper) surface of the disc is covered with small plates and is pale grey with a network of fine reddish-brown lines, giving it its common name. The arms have a large number of short joints and are fringed on either side with short spines. They are white or pale grey and have a band of chocolate brown approximately every fourth joint. This colouration makes the brittle star inconspicuous when viewed against its typical background. [4]
Ophionereis reticulata is found in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Its range extends from the West Indies and Bermuda to Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Venezuela [3] and Brazil. [5] The type locality is the Florida Keys. [1] It is found on sandy or shingle bottoms, among boulders and under rocks at depths of between 3 and 40 metres (9.8 and 131.2 ft). [6]
Ophionereis reticulata moves about on its arms with the disc clear of the substrate. Unlike many other brittle stars, it uses its tube feet in locomotion. [4] These are long and pointed and are the only part of the arm to come in contact with the seabed. For bodily movement, the tips of the tube feet are extended forwards by bending them at right angles at the base. They are then straightened as the brittle star raises itself onto the points. [7] By repeating these actions, the brittle star can creep forward at up to 50 centimetres (20 in) per minute. Any arm or pair of arms can be in the lead. [4]
Ophionereis reticulata is an herbivore and filter feeder, but detritus and fragments of polychaete worm have also been found in its stomach. [5] It mainly consumes red and green algae and diatoms which it catches by raising one or more of its arms into the passing water current while keeping its disc concealed. If an arm is attacked by a predator it can easily break off in a process known as autotomy, and the brittle star can later regenerate a new limb. [4] The sexes are separate in Ophionereis reticulata and spawning takes place once a year. The ophiopluteus larvae are planktonic and after passing through several larval stages, settle on the seabed and undergo metamorphosis into juveniles. [8]
An echinoderm is any member of the phylum Echinodermata. The adults are recognisable by their radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the sea lilies or "stone lilies". Adult echinoderms are found on the sea bed at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone. The phylum contains about 7,000 living species, making it the second-largest grouping of deuterostomes, after the chordates. Echinoderms are the largest entirely marine phylum. The first definitive echinoderms appeared near the start of the Cambrian.
Brittle stars, serpent stars, or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea, closely related to starfish. They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long, slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to 60 cm (24 in) in length on the largest specimens.
The Asterozoa are a subphylum in the phylum Echinodermata. Characteristics include a star-shaped body and radially divergent axes of symmetry. The subphylum includes the class Asteroidea, the class Ophiuroidea, and the extinct order Somasteroidea.
Ophiura ophiura or the serpent star is a species of brittle star in the order Ophiurida. It is typically found on coastal seabeds around northwestern Europe.
Luidia clathrata is a tropical species of starfish in the family Luidiidae. It is variously known as the slender-armed starfish, the gray sea star, or the lined sea star. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Ophionotus victoriae is a species of brittle star in the order Ophiurida. It has a circumpolar distribution around Antarctica.
Luidia senegalensis, the nine-armed sea star, is a tropical species of starfish in the family Luidiidae found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Davidaster rubiginosus or the orange sea lily is a species of crinoid in the family Comatulidae. At one time it was classified as Nemaster rubiginosa but the World Register of Marine Species has determined that the valid name is Davidaster rubiginosus. It is found on reefs in the tropical western Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea.
Ophiothrix suensoni, Suenson's brittle star or the sponge brittle star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It is found in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. It is included in the subgenus Acanthophiothrix making its full scientific name Ophiothrix (Acanthophiothrix) suensoni.
Amphiodia pulchella is a species of brittle star belonging to Amphiuridae, a diverse family of the Ophiurida order.
Ophiocoma scolopendrina is a species of brittle star belonging to the family Ophiocomidae. Restricted to life in the intertidal, they live in the Indo-Pacific. They can typically be found within crevices or beneath borders on intertidal reef platforms. Unlike other Ophiocoma brittle stars, they are known for their unique way of surface-film feeding, using their arms to sweep the sea surface and trap food. Regeneration of their arms are a vital component of their physiology, allowing them to efficiently surface-film feed. These stars also have the ability to reproduce throughout the year, and have been known to have symbiotic relationships with other organisms.
Ophiocoma echinata, the spiny ophiocoma, is a species of brittle star belonging to the family Ophiocomidae. It is the type species of the genus Ophiocoma and is found in the tropical west Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Ophiactis savignyi is a species of brittle star in the family Ophiactidae, commonly known as Savigny's brittle star or the little brittle star. It occurs in the tropical and subtropical parts of all the world's oceans and is thought to be the brittle star with the most widespread distribution. It was first described by the German zoologists Johannes Peter Müller and Franz Hermann Troschel in 1842. The specific name honours the French zoologist Marie Jules César Savigny.
Ophiothrix angulata, the angular brittle star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It is found in the warm waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Ophiopholis aculeata, the crevice brittle star or daisy brittle star, is a species of brittle star in the family Ophiactidae. It has a circum-polar distribution and is found in the Arctic Ocean, the northern Atlantic Ocean and the northern Pacific.
Ophionereis schayeri, Schayer's brittle star, is a brittle star in the family Ophionereididae.
Ophiocomella alexandri, known as Alexander's spiny brittle star or banded brittle star, is a species of marine brittle star. It was first described to science by Theodore Lyman in 1860. Lyman states in his description that the animal is named for his friend, Alexander E. R. Agassiz, the son of Lyman's mentor, Louis Agassiz.
Amphiodia occidentalis or long-armed brittle star is a species of brittle star belonging to the family Amphiuridae. It is found in the Eastern Pacific coast from Alaska to USA, often on the seafloor within intertidal and subtidal zones. Within these areas, it is often found buried a few centimeters under the sand with 2 or 3 arms extending through the surface.
Ophiomusa is a genus of echinoderms belonging to the family Ophiolepididae that includes: sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. Ophiurida are similar to starfish; they both have a central disc and five arms sprouting from the disc. One of the main distinguishing factors of an Ophiuroid is its arms; the arms of an Ophiurida are longer, thinner, and distinctly separated in comparison to those of a sea star.
Ophiothela mirabilis is a species of ophiurid brittle stars within the family Ophiotrichidae.