Ophiuroidea |
Amphilepidida |
Ophiotrichidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Reef-associated; depth range 0 - 40 m (Ref. 81020). Tropical
Indo-West Pacific.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Uncommon; invariably occurs on the branches of gorgonian sea fans (Ref. 102838) in subtidal sands, grass bed, and artificial structures (Ref. 130839). Found on coral reefs (Ref. 107862). Common in rocky crevices and on sponges. Possibly a suspension or deposit feeder (Ref. 107731). Members of the family Ophiothrichidae are microphagous (Ref. 108108).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Ophiuroidea are mostly gonochoric, others are protandric. Fertilization is external. Brooding is common, bursae is used as brood chambers where the embryos develop into juveniles and later crawl out from the bursal slits. Life cycle: Embryos hatch into free-swimming planktotrophic larvae and later metamorphose into tiny brittle stars which sink down the bottom where they grow into adult form.
Lane, D.J.W., L.M. Marsh, VandenSpiegel and F.W.E. Rowe 2000 Echinoderm fauna of the South China Sea: an inventory and analysis of distribution patterns. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (Suppl. 8):459-493. (Ref. 81020)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Population dynamicsGrowth
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Abundance
Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 25.5 - 29, mean 27 (based on 92 cells).
