Ophiothrix spiculata, the western spiny brittle star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It is found along the Pacific coast of North and South America from below the San Francisco Bay to Peru.[1] Individuals come in a variety of colors, although usually with orange longitudinal stripes on the arms, and the body can measure up to 2 cm across.[1] This species was first described by J. L. Le Conte in 1851.[2]

Ophiothrix spiculata
Colima, Mexico, 2023
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Ophiuroidea
Order: Ophiurida
Family: Ophiotrichidae
Genus: Ophiothrix
Species:
O. spiculata
Binomial name
Ophiothrix spiculata
(LeConte, 1851)

References

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  1. ^ a b Russo, Ron; Olhausen, Pam (1981). Pacific Intertidal Life: A guide to organisms of rocky reefs and tide pools of the Pacific Coast. AdventureKEEN. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-912550-32-9.
  2. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Ophiothrix spiculata Le Conte, 1851". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2023-11-16.