Biodiversity & Conservation

A brittlestar - Amphiura chiajei - General information

A brittlestar

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Distribution map

Amphiura chiajei recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

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Amphiura chiajei is not listed under any importance categories.

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Georgina Budd Text page icon Refereed by: Dr Mattias Sköld

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Echinodermata Starfish, brittlestars, sea urchins & sea cucumbers
Class Stelleroidea Starfish, sea stars, cushion stars and brittlestars
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Recorded off the west, north and east coasts of the British Isles, mostly below 10 m in depth. There is some doubt over records from the south coast.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Amphiura chiajei lives partially buried in mud and muddy sand.
Text page icon Description A small brittle star with very long arms which lives buried in muddy sand. Disc may be up to 11 mm in diameter with upper and underside surfaces covered in small smooth scales. Each arm segment has between 4-6 short spines on each side, none flattened or widened at the tip and two large tentacle scales. Colour in life reddish or greyish-brown, often somewhat mottled.

This review can be cited as follows:

Georgina Budd 2006. Amphiura chiajei. A brittlestar. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 22/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=2502>