Ophiuroidea Tyler d’Entremont, Michelle Johnson, Dana Marshall, Emma

Whitley

Introduction

•Group of echinoderms

•Brittle Stars and Basket Stars

•Estimated to 2,000 species

•Aquatic environments

Taxonomy•Kingdom: Animalia

•Phylum: Echinodermata

•Subphylum: Asterozoa

•Class: Ophiuroidea

•Orders: Oegophiurida, Ophiurida, and Phrynophiurida

Brittle Stars vs Sea Stars

Brittle Stars can be distinguished from Sea Stars by their distinct body shape

Anatomy and Characteristics

Fun Fact

Out of all echinoderms, brittle stars are the fastest.

Reproduction

• Spawning

• Brooding

• Cloning or asexual reproduction

Spawning

Eggs and sperm are released into the water.

Brooding

● Eggs fertilized in an internal chamber.

● Released when at juvenile stage.

Cloning

● Adult method

● Juvenile method

Habitat

•Waters from Arctic to tropics to Antarctica

•Few adapted to survive in brackish waters

•Basket stars mainly inhabit deep sea water

Evolution

Sea lilies gave rise to new Echinoderms.

Fun Fact -Aquariums

References● " Brittle and Basket Stars, Class Ophiuroidea." BrittleStars. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.● "Brittle Star- Enchanted Learning Software." Brittle Star- Enchanted Learning Software. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.● "Deep Sea Brittle Star." , Deep Sea, Invertebrates, Amphiodia Urtica at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 23

Mar. 2014.● "The Echinoblog." : The Basics: How to Tell Sea Stars (Asteroids) from Brittle Stars (Ophiuroids). N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar.

2014.● Hunt, Kimm. "How Do Brittle Starfish Reproduce?." Animals. Media Demand, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

http://animals.pawnation.com/brittle-starfish-reproduce-6551.html● Hunter, Rebecca L. "Ophiuroidea." Assembling the Echinoderm Tree of Life. Scripps Oceanography, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.

2014."Introduction to the Ophiuroidea." The Ophiuroidea. University of California Museum of Paleontology, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.

2014● Knop, Daniel. "Brittle Stars: Secrets of the Ophiuroidea." Reef To Rainforest Media LLC CORAL Magazine AMAZONAS

Magazine Microcosm Publishing. Reef To Rainforest Media, 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.● "The World Ophiuroidea Database." The World Ophiuroidea Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.