Ophiura brittlestar

Brittlestars are marine creatures (see Echinodermsechinoderms Spiny-skinned animals which live in the sea, their bodies generally displaying radial symmetry e.g. starfish, sea-urchins, brittlestars, sea-cucumbers. These animals have a "water vascular system" which communicates with the surrounding sea water and operates, by means of hydrostatic pressure, rows of radially arranged suckers. These suckers are known as "tube-feet".) which live on the seabed, and are of the same class of animals as starfish. There are several species of brittlestar and, as a class, brittlestars are known to date back to the last Ice Age. Brittlestars tend to live in dense communities on the seabed, and amongst some species the density is 100s to 1000s per square metre. The animals live on tide-swept seabeds where the surface is either rocky or of mixed substrata, and they link their “arms” together in order to secure their position on the seabed, whilst other “arms” are raised in order to filter and catch food from the passing water. Brittlestars tend to be a “keystone species” i.e. other marine species live in association with them and are dependent upon them for some essential function (i.e. food, shelter). Ophiura brittlestarsOphiura brittlestar Brittlestars are marine creatures (see Echinoderms) which live on the seabed, and are of the same class of animals as starfish. There are several species of brittlestar and, as a class, brittlestars are known to date back to the last Ice Age. Brittlestars tend to live in dense communities on the seabed, and amongst some species the density is 100s to 1000s per square metre. The animals live on tide-swept seabeds where the surface is either rocky or of mixed substrata, and they link their "arms" together in order to secure their position on the seabed, whilst other "arms" are raised in order to filter and catch food from the passing water. Brittlestars tend to be a "keystone species" i.e. other marine species live in association with them and are dependent upon them for some essential function (i.e. food, shelter). Ophiura brittlestars are a particular species. They live in communities, but not at the same density as some other brittlestar species. Ophiura brittlestars tend to live in the North Sea where many other species of brittlestar are not to be found. are a particular species. They live in communities, but not at the same density as some other brittlestar species. Ophiura brittlestars tend to live in the North Sea where many other species of brittlestar are not to be found.