Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroids)

Brittle stars or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea closely related to starfish. They crawl across the seafloor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to 60 centimetres (24 in) in length on the largest specimens. They are also known as serpent stars. Ophiuroidea contains two large clades, Ophiurida (brittle stars) and Euryalida (basket stars). Many of the ophiuroids are rarely encountered in the relatively shallow depths normally visited by humans, but they are a diverse group. There are some 1,500 species of brittle stars living today, and they are largely found in deep waters more than 500 metres (1,650 feet) down.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuroidea

Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ300
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ307
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ311
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ314
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ316
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL54
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL121
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL122
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL123
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL124
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL125
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL127
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL128
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL131
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL135
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL136
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL137
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL140
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL145
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL147

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Morphology of ophiuroids (after Forbes)
a) Ophiura texturata, b) Ophiocoma neglecta (podle Forbese).
Source: http://chestofbooks.com/animals/Manual-Of-Zoology/Order-Ophiuroidea.html

Img. 84:

Img. 84:

Virtual museum of the Czech Geological Survey, www.geology.cz, (C) Czech Geological Survey, 2011, v.0.99 [13.12.2011]