Species Profile
Ophiura
Brittle star
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumEchinodermata
ClassOphiuroidea
OrderUnknown
FamilyUnknown
Introduction
Ophiura lives on muddy sea bottoms.
It is benthic and scavenging.
Cleans sea floor debris.
Size & Structure
01
Rounded disc
02
Thin flexible arms
03
Smooth surface
04
Grey or brown
Ophiura — 3D Model
General Features
- Coelom
- True coelom, reduced
- Body plan
- Tube within a tube body plan, Deuterostomous
- Germ layer
- Triploblastic
- Metamerism
- Absent
- Body symmetry
- Radial (pentaradial adult, bilateral larva)
- Fertilization
- External
- Digestion type
- Incomplete
- Nervous system
- Nerve ring with radial nerves
- Excretory organ
- Absent
- Body temperature
- Poikilothermic, stenohaline
- Circulatory type
- Type-I (absent)
- Development type
- Indirect
- Respiratory type
- Bursae
- Mode of excretion
- Ammonotelism
- Circulation system
- Water vascular (ambulacral) system
- Skeleton structure
- Endoskeleton (ossicles)
- Level of Organisation
- Organ-system level
- Regulation of Osmosis
- Osmoconformer
Ecology
Scavenger
Sea floor cleaner
Nutrient recycling
Economic Importance
Marine research
Environmental indicator
Educational value