Enchinodermata - Blog Posts

bioluminescentoceangoddess

3 years ago

Brittle Stars

Asteroschema Ajax

Brittle stars are in the phylum Enchinodermata and are closely related to sea stars. They have long stringy arms and small podia on the bottoms of their body. They also have a hydrostatic skeleton and have a complex water vascular system. When attacked, they will abandon their arm to confuse predators and make a hasty escape. The photo above is a deep sea brittle star that lives in coral reefs.

Photo credit: https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Asteroschema_ajax