Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Subkingdom Eumetazoa > Phylum Echinodermata > Subphylum Asterozoa > Class Ophiuroidea > Subclass Myophiuroida > Infraclass Metophiurida > Superorder Ophintegrida > Order Amphilepidida > Suborder Gnathophiurina > Superfamily Ophiactoidea > Family Ophiotrichidae > Genus Ophiothrix

Ophiothrix fragilis (Abildgaard in O.F. Müller, 1789)

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

*Ophiothrix*	Müller & Troschel, 1840	accepted genus name
*Ophionyx*	Müller & Troschel, 1840	synonym

Species group names

*Asteria cuvierii*	Delle Chiaje, 1828	synonym
*Asterias echinata*	Delle Chiaje, 1828	synonym
*Asterias fragilis*	Abildgaard in O.F. Müller, 1789	synonym
*Asterias pentaphylla*	Pennant, 1777	synonym
*Asterias rubra*	Delle Chiaje, 18??	synonym
*Ophiocoma minuta*	Forbes, 1839	synonym
*Ophiocoma rosula*	Forbes, 1839	synonym
*Ophiothrix alopecurus*	Müller & Troschel, 1842	synonym
*Ophiothrix ferussacii*	(Delle Chiaje, 1828)	synonym
*Ophiothrix lusitanica*	Ljungman, 1872	synonym
*Ophiothrix rammelsbergii*	Müller & Troschel, 1842	synonym
*Ophiothrix rubra*	Ljungman, 1872	synonym

Vernaculars (+) (-)

Albanian: krrabori i brishtë; yllgjarpëri i brishtë sources: Dhora, DH. 2008. Fjalor i emrave të kafshëve të Shqipërisë (Emri shkencor – Shqip – Anglisht) / Dictionary of animal names of Albania (Scientific names – Albanian – English). Camaj – Pipa. Shkodër, Albania. pp. 288.

Catalan: ofiura sources: Club d'immersió Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona

Dutch: brokkelster sources: Hayward, P.; Nelson-Smith, A.; Shields, C. (1999). Gids van kust en strand: flora en fauna [Coast and beach guide: flora and fauna]. Tirion: Baarn, Netherlands. ISBN 90-5210-327-5. 352, ill. pp.

English: common brittlestar sources: Leewis, R. (2002). Flora en fauna van de zee [Marine flora and fauna]. Veldgids, 16. KNNV Uitgeverij: Utrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5011-153-X. 320 pp.

French: ophiure á piquants; ophiure fragile; singe sources: 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.

German: zerbrechlicher Schlangenstern sources: Leewis, R. (2002). Flora en fauna van de zee [Marine flora and fauna]. Veldgids, 16. KNNV Uitgeverij: Utrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5011-153-X. 320 pp.

Norwegian Bokmål: skjørslangestjerne sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Norwegian Nynorsk: skjørslangestjerne sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Spanish, Castillian: ofiura de espinas finas sources: Club d'immersió Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona

Swedish: taggormstjärna

Literature

basis of record	Ljungman, A. (1867). Ophiuroidea viventia huc usque cognita enumerat. Öfversigt af Kgl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar 1866. 23(9): 303-336.
additional source	Clark, A. M.; Courtman-Stock, J. (1976). The echinoderms of southern Africa. Publ. No. 766. British Museum (Nat. Hist), London. 277 pp.
additional source	Hansson, H. G. (1998). NEAT (North East Atlantic Taxa): Scandinavian Echinodermata Check-List (Comp.).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).

Genbank

External Links

Marine Life Information Network - UK

Citation

Stöhr, S.; O’Hara, T.; Thuy, B. (Eds) (2025). World Ophiuroidea Database. Ophiothrix fragilis (Abildgaard in O.F. Müller, 1789). Via: Costello, M.J.; Bouchet, P.; Boxshall, G.; Arvantidis, C.; Appeltans, W. (2011) European Register of Marine Species, Accessed through PESI at http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:125131