Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Ophiuroidea

Order: Ophiurae

Family: Ophiocomidae

Scientific name: Ophiocomina nigra

 

Norwegian: svartstjerne

(Djupfest - Sør-Trøndelag / 4 meters / 9.25.2005)

Distribution: The black brittle star lives on any depth down to 400 meters. It is not registered north of Trøndelag. It is not choosy on habitats. It sometimes appears in large numbers, more than a hundred individuals on a square meter.

Characteristics: It is a relatively large brittle star, reaching a diameter of 25 cm in some cases. The color is black or dark grey. The surface of the central disk is smooth. The diameter of the disk is approximately one fifth of the arm length. The arms are thicker than the arms of most brittle stars. The arm spines are thin and colored white or grey.

All pictures: