Ophiura albida
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| Ophiura albida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ophiura albida with one broken arm | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Ophiurida |
| Family: | Ophiuridae |
| Genus: | Ophiura |
| Species: | O. albida |
| Binomial name | |
| Ophiura albida Forbes, 1839 [1] | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Ophiura albida is a species of brittle star in the order Ophiurida. It is typically found on the seabed in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea, and is sometimes known as the serpent's table brittle star.[2]
Ophiura albida has a central disc reaching a diameter of about 1.5 centimetres (0.6 in) and five arms up to 6 centimetres (2.4 in) long. The disc is flattened, and the upper surface is covered in small plates. These are mostly brick red, but the plates at the edge of the disc close to where the arms are attached are white. The arms are slender and fragile, segmented and gradually tapering. The plates on the upper and lower sides have convex edges. Each segment has three short spines which lie flat on the surface, and there are small pores between the plates. This latter fact helps to distinguish this species from the otherwise very similar Ophiura ophiura. The underside of the disc is a pale colour and has a central mouth with five large plates modified as jaws and fringed with teeth.[1][2][3]