Ophiolepididae Explained

Ophiolepididae are a family of brittle stars. It includes both deep-sea and shallow-water species.^[1]

Systematics and phylogeny

The fossils of Ophiolepididae date back to the Anisian age of the Middle Triassic.^[2] The family includes the following living genera:^[3]

• Amphipholizona
• Aspidophiura
• Ophiolepis
• Ophiomaria
• Ophiomidas
• Ophiomusa
• Ophioplinthus
• Ophiothyreus
• Ophiotrochus
• Ophiozonoida
• Ophiuroconis
• Ophiurodon

Notes and References

1. S.Hottenrott, A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Ophiolepididae (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) with an Evaluation of its Deep Sea Members. Invertebrate Zoology, 1997
2. http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=80854&is_real_user=1 The Paleobiology Database
3. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=242200 MarineSpecies.org - Ophiolepididae Ljungman, 1867