Commensal Brittle Star

Ophiothela mirabilis

Other invertebrates
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth9–87 m
Water temperature20–29 °C
Best monthsFebruary, August, and November
How commonOccasional

About this species

Ophiothela mirabilis is a species of ophiuroid brittle star within the family Ophiotrichidae. O. mirabilis is an epizoic species which have a non-parasitic relationship with host sponges or gorgonians. Although native to the Pacific Ocean, it has invaded the Caribbean and southwestern Atlantic since late 2000. Many of its characteristics, including reproduction and diet, allow O. mirabilis opportunities to quickly propagate and spread through habitats.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Ophiothela mirabilis”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 5 records
February: 21 records
March: 12 records
April: 12 records
May: 8 records
June: 13 records
July: 11 records
August: 15 records
September: 13 records
October: 5 records
November: 22 records
December: 11 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 9–87 m · Deepest record: 287 m

0–10 m: 10 records
10–20 m: 8 records
20–30 m: 10 records
30–40 m: 8 records
40–50 m: 6 records
50–60 m: 7 records
60–70 m: 15 records
70–80 m: 12 records
80–90 m: 3 records
90–100 m: 3 records
100–110 m: 2 records
110+ m: 2 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 20–29 °C

20–22 °C: 9 records
22–24 °C: 39 records
24–26 °C: 51 records
26–28 °C: 48 records
28–30 °C: 42 records

Names and classification

English: Commensal Brittle Star, Dana's Brittle Star

Names in 4 more languages

French: Ophiure à six bras jaunes, Ophiure-bracelet
Japanese: Nishiki-kumohitode, ニシキクモヒトデ
Korean: 비단꼭지거미불가사리
Simplified Chinese: 錦疣蛇尾

Other scientific names: Ophiothela caerulea, Ophiothela coerulea, Ophiothela danae, Ophiothela dividua, Ophiothela hadra, Ophiothela involuta, Ophiothela isidicola, Ophiothela verrilli, Ophiothrix (Ophiothela) mirabilis, Ophiothrix danae

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
829 open-data records from 1869 to 2024.

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