Ophiuroidea |
Ophiacanthida |
Ophiotomidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Benthic; depth range 0 - 400 m (Ref. 85345). Temperate
Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea: North Sea and Portugal. Temperate and subtropical.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Ophiuroidea are mostly gonochoric, others are protandric. Fertilization is external. Brooding is common, bursae is used as brood chambers where the embryos develop into juveniles and later crawl out from the bursal slits. Life cycle: Embryos hatch into free-swimming planktotrophic larvae and later metamorphose into tiny brittle stars which sink down the bottom where they grow into adult form.
Gaspar, M.B., M.D. Dias, A. Campos, C.C. Monteiro, M.N. Santos, A. Chicharo and L. Chicharo. 2001. (Ref. 2714)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Trophic EcologyFood itemsDietFood consumptionRationPredators Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvaeLarval dynamics Human RelatedAquaculture profile
Stamps, Coins Misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 6.9 - 11.7, mean 9.1 (based on 432 cells).
Price category
Unknown.