Ophiotrichidae Explained

Ophiotrichidae are a family of brittle stars within the suborder Gnathophiurina.

All of its species have arms with delicate, translucent, thorny spines. Their arms are flexible in all directions. Their jaws contain clusters of well-developed tooth papillae on the apex but not on the sides. There are no mouth papillae. Inside the mouth edge there is a second pair of tube feet. They show large radial shields. The dorsal surface of the disc is covered with spines and thorny towers.

Systematics

Ophiotrichidae contains the following genera:^[1]

• Asteria (nomen dubium)
• Gymnolophus Brock, 1888
• Lissophiothrix H.L. Clark, 1938
• Macrophiothrix H.L. Clark, 1938
• Ophioaethiops Brock, 1888
• Ophiocampsis Duncan, 1887
• Ophiocnemis Müller & Troschel, 1842
• Ophiogymna Ljungman, 1866
• Ophiolophus Marktanner-Turneretscher, 1887
• Ophiomaza Lyman, 1871
• Ophiophthirius Döderlein, 1898
• Ophiopsammium Lyman, 1874
• Ophiopteron Ludwig, 1888
• Ophiothela Verrill, 1867
• Ophiothrichoides Delage & Hérouard, 1903
• Ophiothrix Müller & Troschel, 1840
• Ophiotrichoides Ludwig, 1882

References

• Hansson, H.G. (2001). Echinodermata, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 336–351
• Stöhr, S.; Hansson, H. (2009). Ophiotrichidae. In: Stöhr, S., O’Hara, T. (Eds) (2009). World Ophiuroidea database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123208 on 2010-06-16
• P.J. Hayward and J.S. Ryland (ed.), Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996,

Notes and References

1. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123208 MarineSpecies.org - Ophiotrichidae Ljungman, 1867