Common brittlestar  (Ophiothrix fragilis)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Range

Found around the coastline of Britain, but is absent from the east coast of Scotland, the Humber Estuary, northern East Anglia and the southern part of the Kent coast (2). Elsewhere it has a wide range in the eastern Atlantic extending from northern Norway to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa (2).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Habitat

Occurs from the lower shore to depths of around 150m (3), living on hard substrates (2).

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