species: Ophiarachnella gorgonia in taxonomy (Gaia Guide)
Animalia > Echinodermata > Asterozoa > Ophiuroidea > Ophiurida > Chilophiurina > Ophiodermatidae > Ophiarachninae > Ophiarachnella > Ophiarachnella gorgonia (gallery)
Ophiarachnella gorgonia


©Anne: Ophiarachnella gorgonia, found under rubble at MacGillivray Reef

©Anne: Underside of Ophiarachnella gorgonia

©Anne: Underside of Ophiarachnella gorgonia at Lizard Island, disc diameter 12 mm

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Ophiuroidea
Order Ophiurida
Family Ophiodermatidae
Genus Ophiarachnella
Species Ophiarachnella gorgonia
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Distinguishing features

A small green and whitish, or pink, green and whitish, brittlestar with banded arms, always concealed under rubble. Arms spines are very short and apressed to the arms. The following characteristics cannot be seen in the field. On underside, the oral shields are large and without granules, and each has a supplementary oral shield distal to it. On upper side, the disc is covered with granules except for the pair of radial shields near the base of each arm.

Size

  • Up to 10 cm (Length of specimen) - applies to Diameter including arms

Depth range

  • Depth range data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Similar taxa

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Web resources

References

  • Cisternas, P.A. and M. Byrne (2005). Evolution of abbreviated development in the ophiuroid Ophiarachnella gorgonia involves hererochronies and deletions, Canadian Journal of Zoology, 83: 1067-1078. LIRS catalog number 1111.
  • Clark, A.M. and F.W.E. Rowe (1971). Monograph of shallow-water Indo-west Pacific echinoderms British Museum (Natural History), London.
  • Rowe, F.W.E. and J. Gates (1995). Echinodermata in: Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 33, xiii, 510 pp. Wells, A. (Ed.). CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia.