Daisy brittle star | Brittle, Arms, Daisy, Have, Stars

Daisy brittle star

Daisy brittle star (Ophiopholis aculeata) Amazingly, these animals have no head, no heart, no brain and no eyes! What they do have is quite beautiful. Daisy brittle stars have 5 to 7 long, spiny, jointed arms that extend out from a central body disc. This central disc measures approximately ¾ of an inch across but the arms can reach about 3 inches long. Most daisy brittle stars are reddish in color and some may have bands of varying color on the arms. Small spines are present on both the arms and the main body. Detection of environment, food and predators is conducted by special tube feet, which are small sucker-like protrusions that operate by a water vascular system within the brittle star. This system transports water through the body and by adjusting the flow of water the brittle star controls the movement of the tube feet. Daisy brittle stars are some of the most mobile of all its relatives. They use their tube feet and long arms to pull their body along the sea floor. They are nocturnal animals and go out to forage for food at night. They search for tiny pieces of organic material and may even prey on small crustaceans or marine worms.

Daisy brittle stars are either male or female and reproduction usually occurs at the end of summer. However, daisy brittle stars also have amazing regenerative capabilities. Predators, like bottom-feeding fish and some crabs, often bite off arms of brittle stars. However, when a brittle star loses one or more of its arms it can re-grow them, as long as enough of the main body survives. In fact, if a brittle star is being attacked by a predator it may intentionally release one of its arms in order to save itself! Daisy brittle stars are cryptic animals and like to hide in crevices or beneath rocks and can even bury themselves completely in the sand. They can be found in shallow water such as in tidepools and around jetties, but also occur in deeper waters.

The daisy brittle star was so named because when handled or grabbed by a predator they have a tendency to detach their arms. The fact that they are nocturnal and prefer to hide under rocks during the day may make them difficult to spot. If you do happen to spot one, enjoy this beautiful creature where it lies. As they are so fragile, attempting to pick it up or touch it could break off one or more of the arms and damage the animal.

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