Ophiothricidae

Ophiothricidae are a family of ophiurid brittle stars within the infraorder Gnathophiurina.

All have arms with delicate translucent, thorny spines. The arms are flexible in all directions. The jaws contain clusters of well-developed tooth papillae on the apex but not on the sides. There are no mouth papillae. Inside the mouth edge there is a second pair of tube feet. They show large radial shields. The dorsal surface of the disc is covered with spines and thorny towers.

Systematics

Ophiothricidae contains the following genera^[1]:

• Asteria (nomen dubium)
• Gymnolophus Brock, 1888
• Lissophiothrix H.L. Clark, 1938
• Macrophiothrix H.L. Clark, 1938
• Ophioaethiops Brock, 1888
• Ophiocampsis Duncan, 1887
• Ophiocnemis Müller & Troschel, 1842
• Ophiogymna Ljungman, 1866
• Ophiolophus Marktanner-Turneretscher, 1887
• Ophiomaza Lyman, 1871
• Ophiophthirius Döderlein, 1898
• Ophiopsammium Lyman, 1874
• Ophiopteron Ludwig, 1888
• Ophiothela Verrill, 1867
• Ophiothrichoides Delage & Hérouard, 1903
• Ophiothrix Müller & Troschel, 1840
• Ophiotrichoides Ludwig, 1882

References

• 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
• Stöhr, S.; Hansson, H. (2009). Ophiotrichidae. In: Stöhr, S., O’Hara, T. (Eds) (2009). World Ophiuroidea database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at [1] on 2010-06-16
• P.J. Hayward and J.S. Ryland (ed.), Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996, ISBN 0198540558