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Ophiuroidea

Blake, Cody, Gavin, Joelle, Evan

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Class Characteristics and Body Structures

Generally have five long, slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to 60 cm (24 in) in length on the largest specimens.

Has an endoskeleton made out of calcite, and is run by a Water Vascular system wired up in tubes that go from the Madreporite to the tube feet and mouth.

Examples of Members

Brittle stars

Basket stars

More than 2000 species of Brittle and Basket stars

Habitat Preferences

They can be found almost anywhere in the ocean from the arctic to the antarctic, and everywhere in between
Common in shallow marine environments, some have adapted to brackish water (sea water mixed with fresh water creating lower salinity )
Ophiuroids mostly live at the bottom of the ocean in deep water

Eating Preferences

Carnivores
Filter Feeders
Scavengers
Mucus on the tube feet can trap phytoplankton, bacteria, and some medusae from the water.
Capture small animals with their rays,
Digestive system is very simple
Esophagus and a sack like stomach
No anus, so they are not equipped with to extract nutrients for ingested mud.

Reproductive Strategies

Members of this phylum don’t normally mate like others, more or less what they do is any of the following:

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