Can brittle stars reproduce/ livebear?
Some brittle stars reproduce sexually, by releasing eggs and sperm into the water. This results in a free-swimming larva called an ophiopluteus, which eventually settles to the bottom and forms a brittle star shape. Some species (for example, the small brittle star, Amphipholis squamata) brood their young.
What are the adaptations of a brittle star?
Special Adaptations of the Brittle Star
- Brittle Stars can regrow their limbs.
- Spines on their legs to prevent prey.
- Pincers to prevent algae growing on them.
What are facts about brittle stars?
Reproduction
- Fission. Some brittle stars, such as the six-armed members of the family Ophiactidae, exhibit fissiparity (division through fission), with the disk splitting in half.
- Life span. Brittle stars generally sexually mature in two to three years, become full grown in three to four years, and live up to 5 years.
- Regeneration. ...
Do brittle stars have lungs?
What clade do brittle stars and basket stars belong to? Clade Ophiuroidea within Clade Echinodermata. ... (salamanders might still have lungs even as adults)
How often do brittle stars reproduce?
The time period between successive divisions is 89 days, so theoretically, each brittle star can produce 15 new individuals during the course of a year.
Is the brittle star asexual?
But some sea stars and brittle stars are able to duplicate themselves, a process called asexual reproduction.
How do brittle stars regenerate?
filiformis arms regenerate through a consistent set of developmental stages using a distalization-intercalation mode, despite variability in regeneration rate. Skeletal elements form in a mesenchymal cell layer that does not proliferate and thus must be supplied from a different source.
What is the methods of asexual reproduction of brittle star?
The commonly occurring asexual mode of reproduction in sea stars and brittle stars is the division of the body across the disk, termed fissiparity. Each resulting part regenerates a complete individual which can split again.
How do starfish reproduce?
Reproduction: Sea stars are broadcast spawners. Males release sperm into the water and females release eggs. The fertilized eggs hatch into a larval form that lives as plankton, sometimes for months, before settling on the sea floor in its adult form.
Are brittle stars hermaphrodites?
Brittle stars are either male or female, although a few individuals are hermaphrodites. Brittle stars spawn at the end of summer, and most species release their eggs into the plankton and invest no parental care thereafter.
Can starfish reproduce asexually?
The studied starfish exhibited both asexual and sexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction, or cloning, involves the starfish dividing itself into two or more parts, after which the new parts regenerate.
Do brittle starfish regrow limbs?
Brittle stars (class: Ophiuroidea) are the most diverse group of echinoderms comprising over 2000 species with a global distribution [28, 29]. Adult brittle stars are able to regenerate their entire arms, making them an appealing system for studying regeneration of adult structures.
Do starfishes legs grow back?
Regeneration. Beyond their distinctive shape, sea stars are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies. They accomplish this by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms.
How do flatworms reproduce asexually?
Freshwater planarians, found around the world and commonly known as “flatworms,” are famous for their regenerative prowess. Through a process called “fission,” planarians can reproduce asexually by simply tearing themselves into two pieces— a head and a tail—which then go on to form two new worms within about a week.
What type of asexual reproduction is starfish Brainly?
Asexual reproduction in starfish takes place by fission or through autotomy of arms. In fission, the central disc breaks into two pieces and each portion then regenerates the missing parts.
How do starfish have babies?
Reproduction. Both male and female sea stars hold their sperm and eggs in pouches at the base of their arms. They reproduce by free spawning, that means ideally the male and female release their eggs and sperm at the same time. The egg and sperm float until they meet up and the sperm is able to fertilize the egg.
Brittle stars are an echinoderm with whip-like arms
Jennifer Kennedy, M.S., is an environmental educator specializing in marine life. She serves as the executive director of the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation.
Description
A brittle star is made up of an obvious central disk and five or six arms. The central disk is small and clearly offset from its arms, which are long and slender.
Species
The World Ophiuroidea Database lists over 2,000 species of brittle stars accepted in the Class Ophiuridea, the taxonomic class which contains brittle stars, as well as basket stars and snake stars (Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Echinodermata, Class: Ophiuroidea, Order: Ophiurida). Ophiuroidea is the largest class among extant Echinodermata.
Habitat and Range
Brittle stars occur in all the world's oceans from the deep sea to intertidal zones, and including salt and brackish polar areas, temperate, and tropical waters. The region with the highest species richness of brittle stars is the Indo-Pacific region with 825 species at all depths. The Arctic has the lowest number of species: 73.
Diet
Brittle stars feed on detritus and small oceanic organisms such as plankton , small mollusks, and even fish. Some brittle stars will raise themselves on their arms, and when fish get close enough, they wrap them in a spiral and eat them.
Behavior
Brittle stars can drop an arm when being attacked by a predator. This process is known as autotomy or self-amputation, and when the star is threatened, the nerve system tells the mutable collagenous tissue near the base of the arm to disintegrate.
Reproduction
There are male and female brittle stars, although it is not obvious which sex a brittle star is without looking at its genitals, which are located inside its central disk. Some brittle stars reproduce sexually, by releasing eggs and sperm into the water.
Range
The ophiuroids diverged in the Early Ordovician, about 500 million years ago. Ophiuroids can be found today in all of the major marine provinces, from the poles to the tropics. Basket stars are usually confined to the deeper parts of this range; Ophiuroids are known even from abyssal (>6000 m) depths.
Anatomy
Of all echinoderms, the Ophiuroidea may have the strongest tendency toward five-segment radial (pentaradial) symmetry. The body outline is similar to that of starfish, in that ophiuroids have five arms joined to a central body disk. However, in ophiuroids, the central body disk is sharply marked off from the arms.
Reproduction
The sexes are separate in most species, though a few are hermaphroditic or protandric. The gonads are located in the disk, and open into pouches between the arms, called genital bursae. Fertilisation is external in most species, with the gametes being shed into the surrounding water through the bursal sacs.
Locomotion
Brittle stars use their arms for locomotion. Brittle stars move fairly rapidly by wriggling their arms which are highly flexible and enable the animals to make either snake-like or rowing movements. However, they tend to attach themselves to the sea floor or to sponges or cnidarians, such as coral.
Bioluminescence
Over 60 species of brittle stars are known to be bioluminescent. Most of these produce light in the green wavelengths, although a few blue-emitting species have also been discovered. Both shallow-water and deep-sea species of brittle stars are known to produce light. Presumably, this light is used to deter predators .
Ecology
Brittle stars live in areas from the low-tide level downwards. Six families live at least 2 m deep; the genera Ophiura, Amphiophiura, and Ophiacantha range below 4 m. Shallow species live among sponges, stones, or coral, or under the sand or mud, with only their arms protruding.
Diversity and taxonomy
Between 2,064 and 2,122 species of brittle stars are currently known, but the total number of modern species may be over 3,000. This makes brittle stars the most abundant group of current echinoderms (before sea stars).
Reproductive Success
An organism that has offspring that is fertile is reproductively successful. Reproductive success is mandatory to keep a species alive and going.
Asexual vs. Sexual Reproduction
Asexual reproduction is a form of reproduction that requires only one parent and makes identical clones of the parent. Some examples of asexual reproduction are binary fission, performed in bacteria, vegetative propagation, performed in plants such as strawberries, and fragmentation, performed in sea stars, brittle stars and sponges.
Mitosis and Meiosis
Mitosis is the procedure of cell division where a cells divides into two identical female cells. These cells are called diploid cells,which means they have a full set of chromosomes. The purpose of mitosis is general growth and repair for the body, such as the production of skin cells. Mitosis occurs in all organisms.
How does a Brittle Star Reproduce?
Brittle Stars can reproduce one of four ways. Three out of the four ways are asexual. Like many other sea creatures it can reproduce through spawning. It waits for a male or female brittle star to lay its egg or sperm in the water and hopes by chance they will meet. Now here's where things get weird.
Do Starfish Need A Mate To Reproduce?
Simply the answer is no. Starfish can reproduce without a mate. It means they can reproduce asexually.
How To Identify Male And Female Starfish?
Typically, most of the animals in the world are born as a male or female. But when it’s come to starfish, it is pretty complex .
Asexual reproduction of sea stars?
To produce starfish asexually, you have to remove the starfish’s arms along with its part of the central disk. This separate piece can form a whole starfish.
Sexual reproduction of sea stars
Sexually reproduction occurs when the conditions are right. At this right time, starfish start to mate sexually. They spawn. It means starfish release their sex cells into the water.
Do Starfish Reproduce By Fragmentation?
Yes, sea stars or starfish can reproduce via fragmentation. Fragmentation can be defined as breaking the body into two parts and regenerating each to produce two individuals.
Do Starfish Reproduce By Regeneration?
Simply, yes, starfish can reproduce by regeneration. But the answer depends on the starfish species that you have.
How Long Does It Take For A Starfish To Reproduce?
Generally, when starfish are two years old, they become an adult. So, from this age, they can reproduce.
Kyclops
Yeah, don't make fun of me if this is a stupid question, but I came in to look at my tank and on the filter tube sat a small-er brittle star on the bottom of the tube, no larger than the size of a U.S. nickel (legs spread). I know nothing about the biology of these things, but some helpful information:
cheryl jordan
What you are seeing are mini brittle stars, they come in a wide range of colors and sizes. They are very common and you tend to just see their legs sticking out of live rock. They are harmless as well.
cheryl jordan
Many of the inverts you see in aquariums spawn as a method of reproduction, and once fertilized they enter a free floating larva stage, zooplankton, and may settle on the sand or other media later in development.
Kyclops
So it more than likely came on a rock and just now came out to say hi and there's no chance that it could have been hatched?
Kyclops
They're monsters! When they come out and stick to the walls they fill the viewing area, I can't imagine having another!
Kyclops
Oh, no, I meant the regular ones, hah. I've got a 20H. So he's going to stay that tiny?!
Kyclops
Well, I've only got one fish in there now, and I don't like those odds. I wanted a goby, and I swear, if anything happens to it. (mean face here)
Description
Species
Habitat and Range
- Brittle stars occur in all the world's oceans from the deep sea to intertidal zones, and including salt and brackish polar areas, temperate, and tropical waters. The region with the highest species richness of brittle stars is the Indo-Pacific region with 825 species at all depths. The Arctic has the lowest number of species: 73. In some areas, they are found residing in large numbers in de…
Diet
- Brittle stars feed on detritus and small oceanic organisms such as plankton, small mollusks, and even fish. Some brittle stars will raise themselves on their arms, and when fish get close enough, they wrap them in a spiral and eat them. Brittle stars may also feed by lifting up their arms to trap tiny particles and algae ("marine snow") using the mucous strands on their tube feet. Then, the t…
Behavior
- Brittle stars can drop an arm when being attacked by a predator. This process is known as autotomy or self-amputation, and when the star is threatened, the nerve system tells the mutable collagenous tissue near the base of the arm to disintegrate. The wound heals, and then the arm regrows, a process which can take weeks to months, depending upon the species. Brittle stars d…
Reproduction
- There are male and female brittle stars, although it is not obvious which sex a brittle star is without looking at its genitals, which are located inside its central disk. Some brittle stars reproduce sexually, by releasing eggs and sperm into the water. This results in a free-swimming larva called an ophiopluteus, which eventually settles to the b...
Conservation Status
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) does not list any brittle star. The WoRMS Catalog of Life includes a total of over 2,000 species but does not identify any endangered species. Perceived threats include pollution and habitat loss.
Sources
- Clark, M. S., and T. Souster. "Slow Arm Regeneration in the Antarctic Brittle Star Ophiura Crassa (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea)." Aquatic Biology16.2 (2012): 105-13. Print.
- Coulombe, Deborah. "The Seaside Naturalist: A Guide to Study at the Seashore." New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
- Denny, Mark W. and Steven D. Gaines (eds). "Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores." U…
- Clark, M. S., and T. Souster. "Slow Arm Regeneration in the Antarctic Brittle Star Ophiura Crassa (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea)." Aquatic Biology16.2 (2012): 105-13. Print.
- Coulombe, Deborah. "The Seaside Naturalist: A Guide to Study at the Seashore." New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
- Denny, Mark W. and Steven D. Gaines (eds). "Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores." University of California Press, 2007.
- Mah, Chris. "Brittle Star Domination! When Ophiuroids Carpet the Murky Deep!" The Echinoblog, September 24, 2013.
Overview
Brittle stars, serpent stars, or ophiuroids (from Latin ophiurus 'brittle star'; from Ancient Greek ὄφις (óphis) 'serpent', and οὐρά (ourá) 'tail'; referring to the serpent-like arms of the brittle star) are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea, closely related to starfish. They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long, slender, whip-like arms w…
Reproduction
The sexes are separate in most species, though a few are hermaphroditic or protandric. The gonads are located in the disk, and open into pouches between the arms, called genital bursae. Fertilisation is external in most species, with the gametes being shed into the surrounding water through the bursal sacs. An exception is the Ophiocanopidae, in which the gonads do not open into bursa…
Range
The ophiuroids diverged in the Early Ordovician, about 500 million years ago. Ophiuroids can be found today in all of the major marine provinces, from the poles to the tropics. Basket stars are usually confined to the deeper parts of this range; Ophiuroids are known even from abyssal (>6000 m) depths. However, brittle stars are also common members of reef communities, where they hide u…
Anatomy
Of all echinoderms, the Ophiuroidea may have the strongest tendency toward five-segment radial (pentaradial) symmetry. The body outline is similar to that of starfish, in that ophiuroids have five arms joined to a central body disk. However, in ophiuroids, the central body disk is sharply marked off from the arms.
Locomotion
Brittle stars use their arms for locomotion. Brittle stars move fairly rapidly by wriggling their arms which are highly flexible and enable the animals to make either snake-like or rowing movements. However, they tend to attach themselves to the sea floor or to sponges or cnidarians, such as coral. They move as if they were bilaterally symmetrical, with an arbitrary leg selected as the symmetry axis and the other four used in propulsion. The axial leg may be facing or trailing the d…
Bioluminescence
Over 60 species of brittle stars are known to be bioluminescent. Most of these produce light in the green wavelengths, although a few blue-emitting species have also been discovered. Both shallow-water and deep-sea species of brittle stars are known to produce light. Presumably, this light is used to deter predators .
Ecology
Brittle stars live in areas from the low-tide level downwards. Six families live at least 2 m deep; the genera Ophiura, Amphiophiura, and Ophiacantha range below 4 m. Shallow species live among sponges, stones, or coral, or under the sand or mud, with only their arms protruding. Two of the best-known shallow species are the green brittle star (Ophioderma brevispina), found from Massachusetts to Brazil, and the common European brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis). Deep-water …
Diversity and taxonomy
Between 2,064 and 2,122 species of brittle stars are currently known, but the total number of modern species may be over 3,000. This makes brittle stars the most abundant group of current echinoderms (before sea stars). Around 270 genera are known, these are distributed in 16 families, which makes them at the same time a relatively poorly diversified group structurally, compared with the …