This brittle star is a new ophiuroid species, animals related to sea stars and sea urchins. Called A
This brittle star is a new ophiuroid species, animals related to sea stars and sea urchins. Called Astrophiura caroleae, is described from off Curacao in the southern Caribbean, and from the western Gulf of Mexico, in depths of 244 to 434 meters. Despite the finding of this new species, it is remarkable that it was found in the vicinity of benthic marine debris, as shown in the image, where the specimen used to described this species (holotype) was found on a discarded beer bottle, the specimen is that small red point on the green bottle. Reference: Pawson, 2018. A new species of the remarkable brittle star genus Astrophiura (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the western Atlantic Ocean. Zootaxa. -- source link
#astrophiura caroleae#ophiuroidea#echinodermata#new species#animals#marine litter#marine science#benthic litter#benthic debris