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Ophiuroidea
| Description | Brittle 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. They are also known as serpent stars; the New Latin class name Ophiuroidea is derived from the Ancient Greek ὄφις, meaning "serpent". From Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuroidea, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source Data |
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| Rank | class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taxonomy (GBIF,PBDB) | Life : Animalia : Echinodermata : Ophiuroidea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taxonomic Status (GBIF) | accepted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification (PBDB,GBIF) |
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| Common Name | brittle star | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific Name | Ophiuroidea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opinions (PBDB) |
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| Status (PBDB) | extant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taxon Size (PBDB) | 553 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Extant Size (PBDB) | 96 (17%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Recorded Appearance | 485 - 477 Ma Paleozoic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Environment | marine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motility | slow-moving | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vision | blind | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diet | detritivore, suspension feeder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reproduction | dispersal=water,planktonic (based on Echinodermata) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ontogeny | accretion,addition of parts (based on Echinodermata) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ecospace Comments | 322; LIFE HABIT: active slow moving, surficial, generally detritivores, sometimes suspension feeding and carnivorous. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taphonomy | high Mg calcite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Reference (PBDB) | J. E. Gray. 1840. A synopsis of the genera and species of the class Hypostoma Asterias (Linn.). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 6:275-290 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Name(s) | Brittle Star, Basket Stars, Brittle Stars, Brittlestars, Snake Stars, Ophiures, Ofiúro, Serpente Do Mar, Schlangensterne, Ormstjärnor, Slangsterren, クモヒトデ／蛇尾 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuroidea |
External Images
Fossil Distribution
Subtaxa
| Name | Status | Common Name(s) | Fossil Occurrences | Oldest | Youngest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myophiuroida subclass | listed (PBDB) | 2 | 197 Ma Early Jurassic | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Oegophiuridea subclass | listed (PBDB) | 0 Ma Extant | |||
| Oegophiuroida subclass | listed (PBDB) | 0 Ma Extant | |||
| Ophiuridea subclass | listed (PBDB) | 0 Ma Extant | |||
| Amphilepidida order | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
 Euryalidaorder | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | Basket Star | 9 | 23.0 Ma Miocene | 0 Ma Extant |
| Oegophiurida order | listed (PBDB) | 98 | 466 Ma Middle Ordovician | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Ophiacanthida order | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Ophioleucida order | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Ophioscolecida order | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Ophiurida order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 688 | 419 Ma Early/Lower Devonian | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Phrynophiurida order | listed (PBDB) | 44 | 411 Ma Early/Lower Devonian | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Zygophiurae ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Acinetasteridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Antiquasteridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Bdellacomidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Calclyridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Cheiropterasteridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 4 | 419 Ma Early/Lower Devonian | 345 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Encrinasteridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 34 | 456 Ma Late/Upper Ordovician | 306 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Eophiuridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Eospondylidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 12 | 411 Ma Early/Lower Devonian | 209 Ma Late/Upper Triassic | |
| Euzonosomatidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 409 Ma Early/Lower Devonian | 0.01 Ma Pleistocene | |
| Furcasteridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Hallasteridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Klasmuridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Lapworthuridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 6 | 453 Ma Late/Upper Ordovician | 365 Ma Late/Upper Devonian | |
| Oncychasteridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Onychasteridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 5 | 372 Ma Late/Upper Devonian | 336 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Ophiureae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Opiuridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Palaeophiuridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 461 Ma Middle Ordovician | 461 Ma Middle Ordovician | |
| Palaeuridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Phragmactinidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Pradesuridae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Protasteridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 91 | 466 Ma Middle Ordovician | 279 Ma Permian | |
| Rhopalocomidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Stenasteridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Ataxaster ✝ genus | doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Calclyra ✝ genus | listed (PBDB) | 7 | 359 Ma Late/Upper Devonian | 260 Ma Permian | |
| Calyptactis ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 345 Ma Carboniferous | 345 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Lumectaster ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 345 Ma Carboniferous | 345 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Maydena ✝ genus | doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 485 Ma Cambrian | 485 Ma Cambrian | |
| Ophiaulaxoides ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Ophioliassica ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 197 Ma Early Jurassic | 197 Ma Early Jurassic | |
| Ophioma ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 11.6 Ma Miocene | 11.6 Ma Miocene | |
| Ophiotrigonum ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 161 Ma Jurassic | 161 Ma Jurassic | |
| Ophiurella ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 5 | 168 Ma Middle Jurassic | 151 Ma Late Jurassic | |
| Phragmactis genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Schyschcatocrinus genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Stenaster ✝ genus | listed (PBDB) | 3 | 461 Ma Middle Ordovician | 439 Ma Silurian | |
Synonymy List
| Year | Name and Author |
|---|---|
| 1840 | Ophiuroidea Gray |
| 1895 | Ophiuroidea von Zittel |
| 1904 | Ophiuroidea Clark p. 433 |
| 1915 | Ophiuroidea Clark and Twitchell p. 23 |
| 1915 | Ophiuroidea Schuchert pp. 267-268 |
| 1965 | Ophiuroidea Owen p. 544 |
| 1966 | Ophiuroidea Spencer and Wright p. U78 |
| 1987 | Ophiuroidea Squires p. 72 |
| 1998 | Ophiuroidea Barnes p. 310 |
| 2001 | Ophiuroidea Boczarowski p. 8 |
| 2002 | Ophiuroidea Sepkoski, Jr. |
| 2005 | Ophiuroidea Dean Shackleton p. 77 |
| 2013 | Ophiuroidea Blake p. 355 |
| Year | Name and Author |
|---|---|
| 1840 | Ophiuroidea Gray |
| 1895 | Ophiuroidea von Zittel |
| 1904 | Ophiuroidea Clark p. 433 |
| 1915 | Ophiuroidea Clark and Twitchell p. 23 |
| 1915 | Ophiuroidea Schuchert pp. 267-268 |
| 1965 | Ophiuroidea Owen p. 544 |
| 1966 | Ophiuroidea Spencer and Wright p. U78 |
| 1987 | Ophiuroidea Squires p. 72 |
| 1998 | Ophiuroidea Barnes p. 310 |
| 2001 | Ophiuroidea Boczarowski p. 8 |
| 2002 | Ophiuroidea Sepkoski, Jr. |
| 2005 | Ophiuroidea Dean Shackleton p. 77 |
| 2013 | Ophiuroidea Blake p. 355 |
References
Data courtesy of: PBDB: The Paleobiology Database, Creative Commons CC-BY licenced. , GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, various licences, iDigBio, various licences, and EOL: The Encyclopedia of Life (Open Data Public Domain). Because fossils are made of minerals too!
Ontario, Canada