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				BL132
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL138
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL152
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL166
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL173
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				BL180
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ301
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ304
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ308
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ310
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ312
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ313
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ317
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ318
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ319
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ321
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ302
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ303
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ309
Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840				OZ315

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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]