Animalscaretips
brittle star, also called serpent star, any of the 2,100 living species of marine invertebrates constituting the subclass Ophiuroidea (phylum Echinodermata). Their long, thin arms—usually five and often forked and spiny—are distinctly set off from the small disk-shaped body.
- Do brittle stars have a Coelom?
- What are the characteristics of a brittle star?
- What are brittle stars made of?
- Are brittle stars single or multicellular?
- What type of reproduction does brittle star use?
- Is a brittle star an invertebrate?
- What are predators of brittle star?
- Why are brittle stars called brittle?
- Are brittle stars decomposers?
- What class are brittle stars?
- What class and characteristics do the brittle stars share?
- Does brittle star have Pedicellariae?
- How do brittle stars reproduce asexually?
- How do brittle stars respire?
Do brittle stars have a Coelom?
The body outline is similar to that of starfish, in that ophiuroids have five arms joined to a central body disk. However, in ophiuroids, the central body disk is sharply marked off from the arms. ... The ophiuroid coelom is strongly reduced, particularly in comparison to other echinoderms.
What are the characteristics of a brittle star?
Characteristics of brittle stars
Characterized by radial symmetry with a central body from which five snakelike arms protrude. The arms are highly flexible. There is no replication of internal organs, just one set in the central disk. Compared to starfish, brittle stars have a much smaller central disc and no anus.
What are brittle stars made of?
Brittle stars have a skeleton made of calcium carbonate, found as the mineral calcite which forms small bone-like structures. These "bones" are fused together to form an armour-like shell.
Are brittle stars single or multicellular?
That is, they are able to exist in both a unicellular and multicellular form, depending on environmental conditions, such as nutrient availability or fluctuations in temperature, growing as a mold, for example, at 25 °C (77 °F), and as yeast cells at 37 °C (98.6 °F).
What type of reproduction does brittle star use?
Most species of brittle stars reproduce by spawning, but some will reproduce sexually, and others will go through a process called fission. During fission, an individual will split in half and regrow the missing body parts to become a whole sea star.
Is a brittle star an invertebrate?
brittle star, also called serpent star, any of the 2,100 living species of marine invertebrates constituting the subclass Ophiuroidea (phylum Echinodermata). Their long, thin arms—usually five and often forked and spiny—are distinctly set off from the small disk-shaped body.
What are predators of brittle star?
Stars come out at night: Brittle stars are plentiful but seldom seen. They have many predators, so brittle stars usually only come out at night. Creatures that snack on brittle stars include fish, crabs, hermit crabs, mantis shrimp and even sea stars and other brittle stars.
Why are brittle stars called brittle?
Brittle stars are named for the ease with which their arms break off when touched; these animals, known collectively as ophioroids, are also called serpent stars (ophis means snake in Greek) because their long arms resemble serpents.
Are brittle stars decomposers?
An ocean food web incorporates many different organisms in an ecosystem, from primary producers to consumers like fish, fishermen, and whales, as well as decomposers like brittle stars and bacteria.
What class are brittle stars?
But within the phylum, sea stars and brittle stars are in different classes. Sea stars are in the class Asteroidea, where brittle stars are in Ophiuroidea, which also includes basket stars.
What class and characteristics do the brittle stars share?
What class and characteristics do the brittle stars share? Ophiuroidea: slender legs, single set of organs, feed on detritus/small animals.
Does brittle star have Pedicellariae?
They have no anus or pedicellariae and the madreporite is located on the under surface. The mouth has five jaw-like plates. Brittle stars feed on microscopic plankton, both plant and animal organic particles, and some feed on larger items such as bristle worms or small crustaceans.
How do brittle stars reproduce asexually?
Some brittle star species may also reproduce asexually through a process called fission. Fission occurs when the star splits its central disk in half, which then grows into two brittle stars.
How do brittle stars respire?
Brittle stars are bottom feeders, consuming small organic material found on the sea floor. Respiration occurs through cilia-line sacs located between the arm bases on the central disk.
