Ophiopsammus maculatus
Species of brittle star
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ophiopsammus maculatus[1][2] is a species of brittle star (related to starfish) in the family Ophiodermatidae. The species is a small five-limbed seastar with a round central disk and long, black or red limbs. Its range is New Zealand where it inhabits littoral zones in coastal waters.[3][4][5]
| Ophiopsammus maculatus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Ophiacanthida |
| Family: | Ophiodermatidae |
| Genus: | Ophiopsammus |
| Species: | O. maculatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ophiopsammus maculatus Verrill, 1869 | |
Etymology
Maculatus comes from the Latin for 'spotted'. The genus name comes from the Greek ὄφις, for 'snake', and ψάμμος, for 'sand'. Presumably, the name is meant to refer to the long arms and the habitat of the brittle star.[1]
