Brittle Star Essay
The brittle star, or the scientific class name, Ophiuroidea, is a close relative to what most people know as the common sea star, which are both in the echinoderm family. Today, there are over 2,000 diverse species of brittle stars that exist. While the brittle star may resemble a sea star at first glance, the brittle star has many distinctive characteristics, such as its physical appearance, habitat, role in the ecosystem, reproduction and movement. The brittle star is typically mixed up with sea star whenever they are found by a human. The brittle star is a one of kind class that has many interesting features and deserves more attention.
The brittle star derives its name from its physical attributes of being fragile and its star shape. …show more content…
Brittle stars are able to reproduce by either spawning, brooding, or cloning. Spawning is the most common way of reproduction in brittle stars, in which the males releases sperm cells and the female releases egg cells into the water, resulting in fertilized eggs. The fertilized eggs then develop into four-armed swimming larvae called ophiopluteus, which become adult brittle stars in three to four years. Another way of reproduction is brooding, which the fertilized eggs are kept in a chamber in the females body until the juvenile are two millimeters in diameter and are able to crawl. Unlike the majority of marine creatures, brittle stars can reproduce asexually.When one or more arms and a portion of the central disk break off, both pieces of the brittle star will grow new bodies and arms to form two individual stars. The way that brittle stars are able to move is by using their highly flexible arms. Unlike the common sea star which use tube feet to move, the brittle star moves by wiggling its arms rapidly, and enabling them to row. The locomotion of brittle stars resembles the locomotion of a human by having a central axis of symmetry, which allows the brittle stars to use their limbs simultaneously. Although the brittle stars have a distinctive way of life, we must be conscience of the
The brittle star derives its name from its physical attributes of being fragile and its star shape. …show more content…
Brittle stars are able to reproduce by either spawning, brooding, or cloning. Spawning is the most common way of reproduction in brittle stars, in which the males releases sperm cells and the female releases egg cells into the water, resulting in fertilized eggs. The fertilized eggs then develop into four-armed swimming larvae called ophiopluteus, which become adult brittle stars in three to four years. Another way of reproduction is brooding, which the fertilized eggs are kept in a chamber in the females body until the juvenile are two millimeters in diameter and are able to crawl. Unlike the majority of marine creatures, brittle stars can reproduce asexually.When one or more arms and a portion of the central disk break off, both pieces of the brittle star will grow new bodies and arms to form two individual stars. The way that brittle stars are able to move is by using their highly flexible arms. Unlike the common sea star which use tube feet to move, the brittle star moves by wiggling its arms rapidly, and enabling them to row. The locomotion of brittle stars resembles the locomotion of a human by having a central axis of symmetry, which allows the brittle stars to use their limbs simultaneously. Although the brittle stars have a distinctive way of life, we must be conscience of the