WoRMS taxon details

(of Asterias fragilis Abildgaard in O.F. Müller, 1789) Müller O. F. (1789). Zoologia Danica seu animalium Daniae et Norvegiae rariorum ac minus notorum descriptiones et historia. Volumen tertium: pp. [1-2], 1-71, pls. 81-120. Havniae [Copenhague], N. Möller., available online at http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/dms/load/img/?PPN=PPN614794331 [details]

Descriptive notes

Nomenclature A.M. Clark (1967) proposed to the ICZN to suppress the older name O. pentaphylla in favour of the more widely applied name...

Nomenclature A.M. Clark (1967) proposed to the ICZN to suppress the older name O. pentaphylla in favour of the more widely applied name fragils. That proposal seems never to have been decided and technically, O. pentaphylla has priority. Since O. fragilis has been in prevailing usage for about a century, changing that would cause instability. However, the article on prevailing usage does not apply because the name pentaphylla has been used after 1899. [details]

Distribution Low intertidal to 150 m depth, under stones on the shore and often in dense aggregations offshore (see Warner, 1971 and...

Distribution Low intertidal to 150 m depth, under stones on the shore and often in dense aggregations offshore (see Warner, 1971 and Broom, 1975 for descriptions of behaviour) on rough and gravelly ground; common all round the British Isles in places with strong currents [details]

Taxonomic citation

Stöhr, S.; O’Hara, T.; Thuy, B. (Eds) (2025). World Ophiuroidea Database. Ophiothrix fragilis (Abildgaard in O.F. Müller, 1789). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125131 on 2025-06-13

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2004-12-21 15:54:05Z

created

Hansson, Hans

2007-07-18 12:17:12Z

checked

Stöhr, Sabine

2010-12-01 08:44:23Z

changed

Stöhr, Sabine

Licensing

The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

[taxonomic tree]

Nomenclature

original description (of Asterias echinata Delle Chiaje, 1828) Delle Chiaje S. (1823-1831). Memorie sulla storia e notomia degli animali senza vertebre del regno di Napoli. Napoli: Fratelli Fernandes (vol. 1), and Società Tipografica (vol. 2-4). Vol. 1, pp. i-xii, 1-84 [1823], pp. 1-184 [1824]; vol. 2, pp. [1-4] + 185-224 [1825], pp. 225-444 [1826]; vol. 3, pp. i-xx, pp. 1-232 [1828]; vol. 4, pp. i-vii [1831], 1-116 [1830], pp. 117-214 [1831]; pl. 1-4; pl. 1-69 [date?], pl. 70-109 [1830][dates according to Sherborn, 1922]., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.10021 [details]

original description (of Asterias fragilis Abildgaard in O.F. Müller, 1789) Müller O. F. (1789). Zoologia Danica seu animalium Daniae et Norvegiae rariorum ac minus notorum descriptiones et historia. Volumen tertium: pp. [1-2], 1-71, pls. 81-120. Havniae [Copenhague], N. Möller., available online at http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/dms/load/img/?PPN=PPN614794331 [details]

original description (of Asterias pentaphylla Pennant, 1777) Pennant, T. (1777). British Zoology, vol. IV. Crustacea. Mollusca. Testacea. London. i-viii, 1-154, pls. 1-93., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/127011
page(s): 64 [details]

original description (of Ophiocoma minuta Forbes, 1839) Forbes, E. (1839). On the Asteriadae of the Irish Sea. Memoirs of the Wernerian Society. 8: 114-143., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35485580 [details]

original description (of Ophiocoma rosula Forbes, 1839) Forbes, E. (1839). On the Asteriadae of the Irish Sea. Memoirs of the Wernerian Society. 8: 114-143., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35485580 [details]

original description (of Ophiothrix alopecurus Müller & Troschel, 1842) Müller, J. and Troschel, F. H. (1842). System der Asteriden.1. Asteriae. 2. Ophiuridae. Vieweg: Braunschweig. xxx+134 pp. 12 pls., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/44159 [details]

original description (of Asteria cuvierii Delle Chiaje, 1828) Delle Chiaje S. (1823-1831). Memorie sulla storia e notomia degli animali senza vertebre del regno di Napoli. Napoli: Fratelli Fernandes (vol. 1), and Società Tipografica (vol. 2-4). Vol. 1, pp. i-xii, 1-84 [1823], pp. 1-184 [1824]; vol. 2, pp. [1-4] + 185-224 [1825], pp. 225-444 [1826]; vol. 3, pp. i-xx, pp. 1-232 [1828]; vol. 4, pp. i-vii [1831], 1-116 [1830], pp. 117-214 [1831]; pl. 1-4; pl. 1-69 [date?], pl. 70-109 [1830][dates according to Sherborn, 1922]., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.10021 [details]

original description (of Ophiothrix lusitanica Ljungman, 1872) Ljungman, A.V. 1872. Förteckning öfver uti Vestindien af Dr A. Goës samt under korvetten Josefinas expedition i Atlantiska Oceanen samlade Ophiurider. Öfversigt af Kungliga Vetenskapsakademiens Förhandlingar 1871, 28(5), 615-658. [details]

original description (of Ophiothrix rammelsbergii Müller & Troschel, 1842) Müller, J. and Troschel, F. H. (1842). System der Asteriden.1. Asteriae. 2. Ophiuridae. Vieweg: Braunschweig. xxx+134 pp. 12 pls., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/44159 [details]

original description (of Ophiothrix rubra Ljungman, 1872) Ljungman, A.V. 1872. Förteckning öfver uti Vestindien af Dr A. Goës samt under korvetten Josefinas expedition i Atlantiska Oceanen samlade Ophiurider. Öfversigt af Kungliga Vetenskapsakademiens Förhandlingar 1871, 28(5), 615-658. [details]

original description (of Ophiothrix triglochis Müller & Troschel, 1842) Müller, J. and Troschel, F. H. (1842). System der Asteriden.1. Asteriae. 2. Ophiuridae. Vieweg: Braunschweig. xxx+134 pp. 12 pls., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/44159 [details]

original description (of Ophiothrix fragilis var. pentaphyllum Pennant, 1777) Pennant, T. (1777). British Zoology, vol. IV. Crustacea. Mollusca. Testacea. London. i-viii, 1-154, pls. 1-93., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/127011 [details]

original description (of Ophiothrix alba Grube, 1857) Grube, E. (1857). Beschreibungen neuer oder weniger bekannter Seesterne und Seeigel. 27: 1-50., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11711082 [details]

original description (of Asteria ferussacii Delle Chiaje, 1828) Delle Chiaje, S. (1828). Memorie sulla storia e notomia degli animali senza vertebre del regno di Napoli / di Stefano delle Chiaje. Stamperia della societa tipografica, Napoli. vol. 3: xx + 232, pls. 32-49., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10664474 [details]

original description (of Ophiura scutellum Grube, 1840) Grube, A.E. (1840). Actinien, Echinodermen und Würmer des Adriatischen- und Mittelmeers nach eigenen Sammlungen beschrieben. Königsberg: J.H. Bon. 92 pp., 12 figs., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10662919
page(s): 19 [details]

basis of record Ljungman, A. (1867). Ophiuroidea viventia huc usque cognita enumerat. Öfversigt af Kgl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar 1866. 23(9): 303-336., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32287761 [details]

Taxonomy

status source Clark, A. M. (1967). Proposals for stabilization of the names of some common European Ophiuroidea Z.N.(S.) 1772. Bulletin Zoological Nomenclature. 24(1): 41-49., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12223192#page/59/mode/1up [details]

Ecology

ecology source Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. Scientific Data. 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4 [details]

Other

context source (Schelde) Maris, T., O. Beauchard, S. Van Damme, E. Van den Bergh, S. Wijnhoven & P. Meire. (2013). Referentiematrices en Ecotoopoppervlaktes Annex bij de Evaluatiemethodiek Schelde-estuarium Studie naar “Ecotoopoppervlaktes en intactness index”. [Reference matrices and Ecotope areas Annex to the Evaluation methodology Scheldt estuary Study on “Ecotope areas and intactness index”. Monitor Taskforce Publication Series, 2013-01. NIOZ: Yerseke. 35 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]

context source (BeRMS 2020) Bio-environmental research group; Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries research (ILVO), Belgium; (2015): Epibenthos and demersal fish monitoring at long-term monitoring stations in the Belgian part of the North Sea. [details]

additional source Clark, A. M.; Courtman-Stock, J. (1976). The echinoderms of southern Africa. Publ. No. 766. British Museum (Nat. Hist), London. 277 pp. [details]

additional source Southward, E.C.; Campbell, A.C. (2006). [Echinoderms: keys and notes for the identification of British species]. Synopses of the British fauna (new series), 56. Field Studies Council: Shrewsbury, UK. ISBN 1-85153-269-2. 272 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]

additional source Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf [details]

additional source Hansson, H. G. (1998). NEAT (North East Atlantic Taxa): Scandinavian Echinodermata Check-List (Comp.). , available online at https://www.gu.se/sites/default/files/2020-10/NEAT%2AEchinodermata.pdf [details]

additional source Hansson, H.G. (2001). Echinodermata, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,. 50: pp. 336-351. (look up in IMIS) [details]

additional source Clark, A. M. (1974). Notes on some echinoderms from southern Africa. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology). 26(6): 423-487, 3 pls, 16 figs, 1 map, 3 tables., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2294231 [details]

Present

Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio

Inaccurate

Introduced: alien

Containing type locality

Syntype (of Ophiothrix lusitanica Ljungman, 1872) MCZ OPH-2367 [details]

Syntype (of Ophiothrix triglochis Müller & Troschel, 1842) MCZ OPH-2448 [details]

From editor or global species database

Spelling Ophiotrix, unaccepted misspelling. [details]

Unreviewed

Breeding Ophiopluteus larva. Spring - Summer [details]

Remark In Subgenus: Ophiothrix Müller & Troschel, 1840. Type locality: Denmark. [details]

Definitions

Language	Name
Albanian	yllgjarpëri i brishtëkrrabori i brishtë	[details]
Catalan	ofiura	[details]
Dutch	brokkelster	[details]
English	common brittlestar	[details]
French	singeophiure fragileophiure á piquants	[details]
German	zerbrechlicher Schlangenstern	[details]
Norwegian Bokmål	skjørslangestjerne	[details]
Norwegian Nynorsk	skjørslangestjerne	[details]
Spanish	ofiura de espinas finas	[details]
Swedish	taggormstjärna	[details]