Red Blunt-Spined Brittle Star

Description:

Photo take at -40 ft on a coral reef this one came out after i flip a rock at the bottom very common on this area nocturnal usually hide during daylight This species is found in coral reef habitats and is common on sandy bottoms under rocks in shallow waters. Unlike common sea stars, the central disk of brittle stars contains the entire digestive system, gonads, and all other organ systems. O. echinata has two defined spines on each side of the first arm segment and two tentacle scales. The spines of O. echinata function for feeding and establishment of burrows in the sand beneath rocks. The unique morphology of the brittle-star arms is due to the ambulacral ossicles in the dermal endoskeleton fusing to develop vertebrae. O. echinata posesses the characteristic echinoderm ability to regenerate autotomized arms. Echinoderms have the ability to not only autotomize limbs but also eviscerate their gut and undergo fission for asexual reproduction (Mladenov et al. 1999). The energy expenditure of O. echinata the effects on somatic and gonadal tissues during regeneration of arms and also the relationship between food level and the amount of arm regeneration were investigated

Habitat:

Inhabit coral reefs and areas of coral rubble. This species of brittle star is common on sand substratum under rocks in shallow waters. found from Florida all the Caribbean sea to North Brazil.

Notes:

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