Ophiocoma scolopendrina

Ophiocoma scolopendrina is a species of brittle star belonging to the family Ophiocomidae. Restricted to life in the intertidal, they live in the Indo-Pacific. They can typically be found within crevices or beneath borders on intertidal reef platforms. Unlike other Ophiocoma brittle stars, they are known for their unique way of surface-film feeding, using their arms to sweep the sea surface and trap food. Regeneration of their arms are a vital component of their physiology, allowing them to efficiently surface-film feed. These stars also have the ability to reproduce throughout the year, and have been known to have symbiotic relationships with other organisms.

Ophiocoma scolopendrina
Ophiocoma scolopendrina at Sharm El Sheik, Red Sea
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Ophiuroidea
Order: Ophiacanthida
Family: Ophiocomidae
Genus: Ophiocoma
Species:
O. scolopendrina
Binomial name
Ophiocoma scolopendrina
(Lamarck, 1816)
Synonyms
  • Ophiocoma alternans von Martens, 1870
  • Ophiocoma lubrica Koehler, 1898
  • Ophiocoma molaris Lyman, 1862
  • Ophiocoma variabilis Grube, 1857
  • Ophiura scolopendrina Lamarck, 1816
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