Ophiura albida - Marine Life Encyclopedia

Ophiura albida Forbes, 1839

Description: A small brittle star with short, tapered, straight arms. The body and arms are red-brown in colour and there are two white marks at the base of each arm. There are arm combs of 8-12 short papillae and 3 arm spines. Disc to 15mm., arms 4x disc diameter.

Habitat: Lives on the surface of muddy sand and muddy gravel or on silty surfaces of rocks or boulders.

Distribution: Common all round the British Isles.

Similar Species: Ophiura robusta is similar in colouring and may occur with Ophiura albida on NE coasts of Scotland. Ophiura robusta has feebly developed arm combs.

Key Identification Features:

Red-brown colouring with white marks at base of arms.
Heart-shaped plate at the base of each arm, between radial plates.

Distribution Map from BioMar data for Ireland - Google Earth map: download this placemark (not got Google Earth installed?)

Distribution Map from NBN: JNCC MNCR Seasearch data - Grid map : Interactive map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., 2010. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland
http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=ZB3130

[Home]