Description

Brittle Stars or Serpent Stars (Ophiuroidea Ophiurida) are closely related to Starfish. They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The Brittle Stars generally have five long, slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to 24″ inches in length on the largest specimens.

Many of the Ophiuroids including Brittle Stars or Serpent Stars are rarely encountered in shallow depths normally visited by humans, but they are a diverse group. Over 2,000 species of Brittle Stars or Serpent Stars live today. More than 1200 of these species are found in deep waters, greater than 200 meters deep.