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Starfish

Common Brittlestar

Ophiothrix fragilis

A small spiny disc trailing five long, thread-thin arms that writhe and snap off at a touch. Colour is hugely variable; often carpets the seabed in dense beds and hides under stones.

Usually seen at

6-70 m (median 27 m)

Size

Small (under 10 cm)

Habitat

Rocky crevice, Sandy bottom

Behaviour

On bottom, Hiding

Where it's seen

Occurrence records around the UK & north-east Atlantic (OBIS). The ringed marker is the PEBL filming site.

55°N50°N10°W0°E
fewermore records PEBL site

Reference photos

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