Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata
Estrella de brazos frágiles, Sea stars
Depth: intertidal to al least 730 m, perhaps 2059 m.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Echinodermata
Class
Ophiuroidea
Order
Amphilepidida
Suborder
Gnathophiurina
Superfamily
Ophiactoidea
Family
Ophiotrichidae
Genus
Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix)
Species
spiculata
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Ophiothrix dumosa Lyman, 1860, Ophiothrix spiculata Le Conte, 1851· accepted, alternate representation, fide Horton et al. (2021)
Origin: Native
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: From California to Perú and Ecuador (Galapagos Islands)
- Bustamante, R.H. Vinueza, L.R., Smith, F., Banks, S., Calvopiña, M., Francisco, V., Chiriboga, A., Harris, J. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas I: Organismos sésiles y mesoinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 38-67.
- Horton, T. Horton, T., Kroh, A., Ahyong, S., Bailly, N., Boyko, C. B., Brandão, S. N., Gofas, S., Hooper, J. N. A., Hernandez, F., Holovachov, O., Mees, J., Molodtsova, T. N., Paulay, G., Decock, W., Dekeyzer, S., Poffyn, G., Vandepitte, L., Vanhoorne, B., Adlard, R., ... Zhao, Z. (2021) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.
- Maluf, L.Y. (1991) Echinoderm Fauna of the Galápagos Islands. In: James, M.J. (ed.): Galápagos Marine Invertebrates. Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Evolution in Darwin's Islands. Plenum Press, New York and London, p. 345-367.
- Sonnenholzner, J. Brand, M., Francisco, V., Hearn, A., Luzuriaga, M., Guarderas, P & Navarro, J. (2013) Echinoderms of Ecuador. In: Alvarado, J & Solís-Marín, A. (eds.) (2013) Echinoderm research and Diversity in Latin America. 183-233 pp.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=19001. Accessed 1 November 2026.