WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

Pictum Brittle Star

Ophiomastix pictum

Also known as: Serpent Star, Starfish, Ophiarthrum pictum

Adult
@NatureWatcher · The Menjangan, Indonesia · September 20151 / 1
01

Overview

Found during the day in shallow waters, under dead coral, rubble, and in seagrass beds, at night in the open, foraging for food, over shallow, protected reef areas. Long arms covered in soft spikes, looks like a toilet brush!
They feed on detritus, by filtering mud and sand from the ocean floor.
Indo-West Pacific - Australia, Palau, Phillippines

Sea Stars have remarkable regenerative powers, when attacked and damaged by predators they are able to grow new arms. They usually have five arms but have been found with 4 or 6 arms, this may be because more than one arm has been damaged at one time!
They possess a cleverly evolved arsenal of hydraulic tube feet connected to an elaborate water-vascular system that encircles the animal's mouth and extends via five radial canals down the centre of each arm.
Their mouth is underneath, but their prey is absorbed outside their mouths by forcing out their digestive organs from their stomach.
Sea Stars are carnivores and feed on almost any food including molluscs, worms, detritus and each other!
Some sea stars like the crown of thorns can be venomous.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Body shape
spikesstar
Behaviour
nocturnal

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Exact location · 1
LIVES IN

Found during the day in shallow waters, under dead coral, rubble, and in seagrass beds, at night in the open, foraging for food, over shallow, protected reef areas.

04

Adult photos 1

05

Discussion

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.

    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumEchinodermata
    3. classOphiuroidea
    4. orderOphiacanthida
    5. familyOphiocomidae
    6. genusOphiomastix
    7. speciesOphiomastix pictum (Müller & Troschel, 1842)

    SourcesWoRMSSeaLifeBase

    06

    More in the family

    Ophiacanthida