Starfish
Common Brittlestar
Ophiothrix fragilis
How to spot it
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 and north-east Atlantic (OBIS).