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Daisy Brittle Star, Crevice Brittle Star
Echinoderm
Daisy Brittle Star, Crevice Brittle Star
Ophiopholis aculeata (Linnaeus, 1767)
WoRMS AphialID
125125
Sample IDs
HMSC174-00150 https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCEC012-23; HMSC174-00151 https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCEC013-23; HMSC174-00200 https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCEC016-23; HMSC174-00290 https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCEC020-23; HMSC174_00995 https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCEC024-24
Collected
Southern Shore NS, Eastern Shore NS, Les Escoumins QC, SCUBA hand collection on boulders, cobbles and sand with seaweed, 10-20 m depth.
Distinguishing Features
• Aboral: disc spinose and granular except for the distinct radial central plates, radial shields are absent.
• Oral: 3 pairs of oral papillae, and elliptical oral shields that are much wider than long.
• Arms: dorsal arm plates are transversely oval and surrounded by single series of smaller plates. The spines are robust, erect, with 5-6 per joint on the outer part of the arm and the lowest arm spine is hooked.
• Size: disc to 20 mm diameter and arm radius to 88 mm.
Habitat
Rock crevices, 0-300 m depth.
Geographic Range
Circumpolar distribution from the Arctic to Cape Cod, Greenland and Europe in the North Atlantic and from the Bering Sea to California and Japan in the North Pacific.
Fun Fact
A common name for brittle stars is “serpent stars,” which comes from their unique movement. While common sea stars rely on their tube feet to move slowly along the sea floor, brittle stars are highly active and quick by wriggling their long arms in a snake-like motion.
Barcode Distribution
Matching large Atlantic and Pacific BIN.
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