| Amphipholis squamata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Ophiurida |
| Family: | Amphiuridae |
| Genus: | Amphipholis |
| Species: | A. squamata |
| Binomial name | |
| Amphipholis squamata Delle Chiaje, 1829 [1] | |
Amphipholis squamata, common names brooding snake star and dwarf brittle star, is a species complex [2] [3] of brittle stars in the family Amphiuridae. [4] [5] [6]
This species is small, grey to bluish-white, and phosphorescent. Brooding individuals emit more light than non-brooding individuals. [7] It has thin, short arms around 20 mm long. The round disc is 3 to 5mm, and has a scale covering with D-shaped radial plates. It has rhombic-shaped mouth shields and extremely wide mouth papillae.
Amphipholis squamata is found in all parts of the British Isles and also in Ireland. It has been recorded in many other parts of the world, including France [7] ,New Zealand and other places, with one conference paper referring to it as a cosmopolitan species. [8] Molecular studies have shown that there are multiple species in this complex. [2] [9]
This brittle star lives in the intertidal zone in shallow water, and can be found under large stones, shells, and around sessile invertebrates such as bryozoans.
This brittle star hosts at least two species of ectoparasites. The following two that have been confirmed are both copepods:
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.
Stefano Delle Chiaje was an Italian zoologist, botanist, anatomist and physician.
Astropecten is a genus of sea stars of the family Astropectinidae.
Amphiuridae are a large family of brittle stars of the suborder Gnathophiurina. Some species are used to study echinoderm development and bioluminescence.
Amphipholis is a large genus of brittle stars (Ophiuroidea) found in oceans worldwide from tropics to Arctic and Antarctic regions. Some species have been used to study echinoderm development and bioluminescence.
The Euryalina are a suborder of brittle stars, which includes large species with either branching arms or long and curling arms. It is sometimes listed as the order Euryalida.
Ophiocanops fugiens is a living species in the brittle star family Ophiocanopidae. Though once considered to be the only one living species in this brittle star family, recent research has brought to light three specimens of Ophiocanops that differ substantially from O. fugiens. It has been regarded as the most primitive brittle star, close to Paleozoic forms, though other authors have disagreed with the view. Classification of O. fugiens is highly argued. Ophiocanops is usually placed in the order Oegophiurida or regarded as a genus incertae sedis or even given its own subclass Oegophiuridea. Some recent data suggest its relationship to the extant family Ophiomyxidae.
Ophiotrichidae are a family of brittle stars within the suborder Gnathophiurina.
Gorgonocephalus is a genus of marine basket stars in the class Ophiuroidea. Members of this genus are found in coldwater environments including the Arctic, the Antarctic, and deep-sea habitats. The scientific name comes from the Greek, gorgós meaning "dreaded" and -cephalus meaning "head", and refers to the similarity between these echinoids and the Gorgon's head from Greek myth with its coiled serpents for hair.
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.
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.
Ophionereis reticulata, the reticulated brittle star, is a brittle star in the family Ophionereididae. It is found in shallow parts of the western Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Amphiura chiajei is a species of brittle star belonging to the family Amphiuridae. It is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and adjoining seas to a depth of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). It digs itself into the soft sediment of the seabed and raises its arms into the water above to suspension feed on plankton. It was first described by the British naturalist Edward Forbes in 1843, and was named for the Italian zoologist Stefano Delle Chiaje (1794–1860).
Ophiactis is a genus of brittle stars (Ophiuroidea).
Ophiacanthidae is a family of brittle stars. Axel Vilhelm Ljungman circumscribed this taxon in 1867; he initially named the subfamily Ophiacanthinae within the family Amphiuridae. Gordon L. J. Paterson promoted its rank to family in 1985.
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 ophiuroid brittle star within the family Ophiotrichidae. O. mirabilis is an epizoic species which have a non-parasitic relationship with host sponges or gorgonians. Although native to the Pacific Ocean, it has invaded the Caribbean and southwestern Atlantic since late 2000. Many of its characteristics, including reproduction and diet, allow O. mirabilis opportunities to quickly propagate and spread through habitats.