Spiny brittle star
Ophiothrix spiculata
- Not on exhibit
- Animal type
- Invertebrates
- Ecosystem
- Sandy seafloor
- Relatives
- Sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers; Phylum: Echinodermata
- Diet
- Organic particles and small animals
- Range
- Northern California to Peru; also Galapagos Islands
- Size
- Disc to .7 inches across (1.8 cm); arms 5 to 8 times their disc size
Meet the spiny brittle star
Brittle stars are sea star cousins that bury themselves for protection, leaving an arm or two free to catch bits of food. Sometimes their arms attract a hungry fish, but fortunately these stars can't be tugged out by the arm. A brittle star's arm snaps off and a new one grows from the stump. At night, a brittle star stretches out to catch food particles, passing the bits down to their central mouth.
Conservation
Used motor oil poured down the drain or on the ground winds up in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. No matter what the source, oil harms ocean animals. Each year, Americans illegally dispose of 220 million gallons of oil—twenty times the Exxon Valdez spill! The solution is to recycle the oil, as it can be re-refined and reused.
Cool facts
- Brittle stars occur in incredible numbers on the sandy seafloor. In kelp forests near La Jolla in southern California, they can carpet the seafloor millions in layers up to an inch thick!
- Brittle stars live in a wide range of water depths from the shoreline all the way down to 6,755 feet (2,059 m).
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