Ophiuroidea |
Ophiurida |
Ophiuridae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Reef-associated. Tropical
Distribution
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions
Western Central Atlantic.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Ophiuroidea are mostly gonochoric, others are protandric. Fertilization is external. Brooding is common, bursae is used as brood chambers where the embryos develop into juveniles and later crawl out from the bursal slits. Life cycle: Embryos hatch into free-swimming planktotrophic larvae and later metamorphose into tiny brittle stars which sink down the bottom where they grow into adult form.
Hendler, G. 1988 Western Atlantic Ophiolepis (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea): a description of O. pawsoni new species, and a key to the species. Bull. Mar. Sci. 42(2):265-272. (Ref. 86566)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
Population dynamicsGrowth
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Abundance
Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
