• Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Echinodermata
  • Subphylum: Asterozoa
  • Class: Ophiuroidea
  • Order: Ophiurida
  • Suborder: Ophiurina
  • Family: Ophiactidae
  • Scientific name: Ophiopholis aculeata
  • Norwegian: kameleonslangestjerne

Characteristics:

This large brittle star comes in many colorations, but purple, red and brown tones are dominating. The central disk can reach a diameter of 2 cm. The five arms can get as long as 8 cm. Fish are happy to eat the crevice brittle star, if they can get to it.

Habitat:

It hides under stones or in crevices. Usually you will only see the tip of the arms waving at you. It is most frequent on depths ranging from 10 to 60 meters.

Distribution:

This is circumpolar and abundant in the Arctic and the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.