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

Bohemura SZ28

Klaraster chuchlensis YA1382

In the Virtual Museum there are total 138 samples

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]