Smooth brittle star

Biology

The five very slender arms of the smooth brittle star converge to a central small disc and are covered in short spines. It is coloured between brown to red-orange, and the arms often have greenish bands. The smooth brittle star can move rather fast using its snake like arms and can reach speeds of up to several meters per minute. Is a photophobic animal and for this reason it prefers sheltered areas, like crevices in rocks. It comes out by night to feed very voraciously on small molluscs buried in the sediment, which it can scent from considerable distances.

Conservation

Ocean acidification, as a result of the greenhouse effect, might be a threat for the brittle star’s regeneration capacity.

Curiosities

Lost arms are regenerated quickly. Ophiuroids are believed to purposely throw off their arms as a way of escaping predation.