Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae

Last updated

Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae
Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae from Trondheimsfjorden at Goteborgs Naturhistoriska Museum 2768.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Ophiuroidea
Order: Phrynophiurida
Family: Gorgonocephalidae
Genus: Gorgonocephalus
Species:
G. caputmedusae
Binomial name
Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae, also known as a Gorgon's head [1] or Medusa's head [2] is a species of Gorgonocephalus , a genus of brittle star. The species has five main arms, which, however, are divided into a very large number of sub-arms; an individual may have hundreds of arm tips. These arms extend from a central body that is about 9 centimeters in diameter. [3]

They live off zooplankton.

References

  1. "Gorgon's Head - Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae". seawater.no. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  2. "What makes a brittle star?". ophiuroids.myspecies.info. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  3. "Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae: Medusahuvud". artfakta.artdatabanken.se. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2025-06-01.