Ophiuroidea |
Ophiacanthida |
Ophiocomidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Reef-associated; depth range 0 - 27 m (Ref. 81020). Tropical
Entire Indo-Pacific except for Pakistan, and western India.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm Max length : 2.5 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 800)
Disk diameter: 2.0 to 2.5 cm. Found in waters less than 30m, among rocks and boulders. Associated with coral communities. Hides beneath rocks and in reef cavities (Ref. 129602). Inhabits reef areas and can be found between the branches of live and dead corals or in rubble areas. Feeds on detritus.
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.
Schoppe, S. 2000 A guide to common shallow water sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and feather stars (echinoderms) of the Philippines. Times Media Private Limited, Singapore. 144 p. (Ref. 800)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Population dynamicsGrowth
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Abundance
Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 24.8 - 29.3, mean 28 (based on 2190 cells).
Fishing Vulnerability
Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.
