Is a brittle star a mollusc?

Starfish belong to the phylum Echinodermata. Mollusks are a separate phylum of animals. Although both phyla are made up of invertebrates, differences in their anatomy are why starfish are classified as echinoderms and not mollusks.

1. What is a brittle star classified as?
2. Do brittle stars have shells?
3. Is a brittle star a vertebrate?
4. What are the characteristics of a brittle star?
5. Is a brittle stars a crustaceans?
6. Is a brittle star single celled?

What is a brittle star classified as?

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 shells?

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.

Is a brittle star a vertebrate?

Aquatic Invertebrate Endocrine Disruption

Echinoderms, including sea stars, sea lilies, sea urchins, and brittle stars, are deuterostomes. ... It is not surprising, therefore, that vertebrate steroids are active in 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.

Is a brittle stars a crustaceans?

Brittle stars, serpent stars, or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea closely related to starfish. They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomotion.

Is a brittle star single celled?

3 stars. Science. Since it has only one cell, it doesn't have organs or membranes.