Gravel brittlestar (Ophiopsila annulosa)
Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help
Researched by | Morvan Barnes | Refereed by | Admin |
Authority | (M. Sars, 1859) | ||
Other common names | - | Synonyms | - |
Summary
Description
Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland
Found at several locations around western Britain and Ireland including Plymouth in Devon, near Bantry in County Cork, Connemara in County Galway and in Inverness-shire, Scotland.Global distribution
-Habitat
Ophiopsila annulosa is a benthic sublittoral species that can usually be found burrowing in coarse gravel and sand at depths of around 30 m.Depth range
-Identifying features
- Disc up to 22 mm in diameter.
- Arms up to 13 cm in length.
- Wiry arms and robust body.
- Dorsal side of disc is smooth with very small scales.
- Twelve small arm spines per arm segment and no row of papillae at the base of each arm.
- Tooth papillae and two mouth papillae are present.
Additional information
It can be differentiated from Ophiopsila aranea by having about twelve arm spines and by being more robust.Listed by
Bibliography
Hayward, P.J. & Ryland, J.S. (ed.) 1995b. Handbook of the marine fauna of North-West Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E., 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Belfast: Ulster Museum. [Ulster Museum publication, no. 276.]
Mortensen, T.H., 1927. Handbook of the echinoderms of the British Isles. London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press.
Picton, B.E., 1993. A field guide to the shallow-water echinoderms of the British Isles. London: Immel Publishing Ltd.
Southward, E.C. & Campbell, A.C., 2006. Echinoderms. The Linnean Society of London. Avon: The Bath Press. [Synopses of the British Fauna No. 56.]
Datasets
NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.
OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System), 2024. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2024-10-03
Citation
This review can be cited as:
Last Updated: 22/05/2008