Ophiocoma scolopendrina
| Ophiocoma scolopendrina | |
|---|---|
| Ophiocoma scolopendrina at Sharm El Sheik, Red Sea | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Ophiacanthida |
| Family: | Ophiocomidae |
| Genus: | Ophiocoma |
| Species: | O. scolopendrina |
| Binomial name | |
| Ophiocoma scolopendrina (Lamarck, 1816) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Ophiocoma scolopendrina is a species of brittle star belonging to the family Ophiocomidae. Restricted to life in the intertidal, they live in the Indo-Pacific. They can typically be found within crevices or beneath borders on intertidal reef platforms. Unlike other Ophiocoma brittle stars, they are known for their unique way of surface-film feeding, using their arms to sweep the sea surface and trap food. Regeneration of their arms are a vital component of their physiology, allowing them to efficiently surface-film feed. These stars also have the ability to reproduce throughout the year, and have been known to have symbiotic relationships with other organisms.