Solvin Zankl / Deepsea Basket star (Gorgonocephalus lamarckii) specimen, from the North Atlantic near Iceland.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Black brittlestar (Ophiocomina nigra), yellow colour variety, with Common brittlestars (Ophiothrix fragilis), on sea bed, St Abbs (St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve), Berwickshire, Scotlan...

Juergen Freund / Brittlestar on gorgonian fan coral, Papua New Guinea.

Birgitte Wilms / Brittlestar (Ophiothrix sp) juvenile on Blue Sea Star (Linckia laevigata) Solomon Islands

Flip Nicklin / Brittle Star, Admiralty Inlet, Baffin Island, Canada

Juergen Freund / Brittlestar on fan coral, Caribbean

Dan Burton / Common brittlestars (Ophiothrix fragilis) on sea bed, Scotland

Alex Mustard / Sleepy sponge crab (Dromia dormia) climbing over a rock, carrying its sea squirt (Didemnum molle) disguise, with brittlestar. Anilao, Batangas marine protected area, Luzon, Philippines. Verde Island P...

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of brittle star (Ophiothrix sp), North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Basket star (Astroboa nuda) commonly found at night with its rays fully extended into areas of current. It removes plankton from the water column by filter feeding. During the d...

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Basket star (Astroboa nuda) commonly found at night with its rays fully extended into areas of current. It removes plankton from the water column by filter feeding. During the d...

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Brittlestar (Ophiothrix sp.) on Sea pen (Virgularia sp.). Rinca, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Brittlestar (Ophiothrix species) on soft coral on which there are Acoel flatworms (Waminoa species). Rinca, Komodo National Park, Indonesia.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Yellow sun star (Solaster endeca) amongst Brittle stars (Ophiothrix fragilis) on a Horse mussel bed (Modiolus modiolus) Sheltand Islands, Scotland, UK, September.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Horse mussel bed (Modiolus modiolus) with Brittle stars (Ophiothrix fragilis),Edible crab (Cancer pagurus) and Northern sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) Sheltand Islands, Scotland, UK, S...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Horse mussels (Modiolus modiolus) with brittle stars (Ophiothrix fragilis), Shetland, Scotland, UK, August.

Georgette Douwma / Brittlestars on Gorgonian branches (Ophiopholis species). West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Black brittlestar / Variable brittlestar (Ophiomastix variabilis). West Papua, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Black brittlestar / Variable brittlestar (Ophiomastix variabilis). West Papua, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Brittlestar (Ophiothrix species) on soft coral. West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Brittlestar (Ophiothrix species) on soft coral. West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Brittlestar (Ophiothrix species) on a Network Lamellaria / Black Velutinid (Coriocella nigra). West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving over rock. In rockpool, Devon, England, UK. September.

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) from English Channel. South Devon, England, UK. September.

Georgette Douwma / Dark red-spined brittle star (Ophiothrix purpurea) and Colonial anemones (Amphianthus nitidus). North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Dark red-spined brittle star (Ophiothrix purpurea). North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Dark red-spined brittle star (Ophiothrix purpurea) North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

David Fleetham / Brittle star (Ophiothrix suesonii) on Stove Pipe Sponge (Aplysina archeri). Bonaire, Netherland Antilles, Caribbean.

David Fleetham / Reticulated brittle star (Ophiocoma brevipes) on cushion starfish (Culcita novaeguineae), Hawaii.

David Fleetham / Reticulated brittle star (Ophiocoma brevipes), and commensal shrimp (Periclemenes soror) on a cushion starfish (Culcita novaeguineae), Hawaii.

Linda Pitkin / Basket star (Astroboa nuda) close up of arm at night, The Barge (wreck), near Bluff Point, Gubal I., Gulf of Suez, Egypt, Red Sea.

Alex Mustard / Basket star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis) climbs up on red soft coral (Eunephthya rubiformis) to feed during daylight. Browning Pass, Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Queen Charlot...

Sue Daly / Brittlestars (Ophiura albida), Trondheimsfjord, Norway, July.

Sue Daly / Black Brittlestar (Ophiocomina nigra), Trondheimsfjord, Norway, July.

Sue Daly / Basket star (Gogonocepahlus caputmedusae) Trondheimsfjord, Norway, July.

Sue Daly / Basket star (Gogonocepahlus caputmedusae) Trondheimsfjord, Norway, July.

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving in a rockpool, with a Common limpet (Patella vulgata) nearby, Cornwall, England, UK, September.

Franco Banfi / Basketstar (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis), Alaska, North Pacific Ocean.

Solvin Zankl / Chilean basket star (Gorgonocephalus chilensis) about 40cm size, Comau Fjord, Patagonia, Chile, Atlantic Ocean

Richard Herrmann / Octopus (Octopus sp) and Brittlestars (Ophiothrix sp), Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands, California

Alex Mustard / Giant basket star (Astrophyton muricatum) young clings to a seafan during the day (at night it will climb up to the top of the fan, unfurl and feed) East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Wes...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) bed with Brittlestars (Ophiothrix fragilis) and Edible crab (Cancer pagurus), Shetland, Scotland, UK, September.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Yellow sun star (Solaster endeca) surrounded by brittlestars (Ophiothrix fragilis), Shetland, Scotland, September.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) bed with brittle stars and crabs, Shetland, Scotland, UK, September.

Norbert Wu / Brittle Star (Ophiothrix spiculata) group and Purple Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), California

Pascal Kobeh / Brittle stars, sea urchins and a shell on the sea floor. Antarctic peninsula, Bellingshausen Sea.

Pascal Kobeh / Brittle star (Ophionotus victoriae) on seaweed. Antarctic peninsula, Bellingshausen Sea. Small reproduction only.

Franco Banfi / Basket star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis) and Sea strawberry (Gersemia rubiformis) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, Pacific Ocean

Pascal Kobeh / Basket star (Astroboa nuda) at night, New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.

Richard Robinson / Two snake stars (Ophiopsammus maculata) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Richard Robinson / Snake star (Ophiopsammus maculata) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Richard Robinson / Snake star (Ophiopsammus maculata) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. April 2014.

Richard Robinson / Euryalinid brittlestar (Astrobrachion constrictum) that lives in a symbiotic relationship on Fiordland black coral (Antipathella fiordensis) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Richard Robinson / Fiordland Black Coral (Antipathella fiordensis) living in a symbiotic relationship with the Snake Star (Astrobrachion constrictum) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Richard Robinson / Butterfly perch (Caesioperca lepidoptera), snake star (Astrobrachion constrictum) and Fiordland black coral (Antipathella fiordensis) and New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) in Dusky Sound,...

Richard Robinson / Snake star (Ophiopsammus maculata) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Richard Robinson / Close up of snake star (Astrobrachion constrictum) that lives in a symbiotic relationship on Fiordland Black Coral (Antipathella fiordensis) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Richard Robinson / Close up of snake star arm (Astrobrachion constrictum) living in a symbiotic relationship on Fiordland Black Coral (Antipathella fiordensis) in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Richard Robinson / Brittle Star (Astroceras elegans) living in a symbiotic relationship on a Fiord Fan Coral (Acanthogorgia breviflora)in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. April 2014.

Richard Robinson / Brittle Star (Astroceras elegans) living in a symbiotic relationship on a Fiord Fan Coral (Acanthogorgia breviflora)in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. April 2014.

Andy Jackson / 2020VISION / Black brittlestar (Ophiocomina nigra) on a boulder covered in purple algae, Shetland, Scotland, UK, July.

Pascal Kobeh / Basket star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis), Alaska, USA, Gulf of Alaska. Pacific ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Giant basket star (Astrophyton muricatum) at night, Guadeloupe Island, Mexico. Caribbean.

Sue Daly / Black brittlestar (Ophiocomina nigra) St Abbs Voluntary Marine Reserve, Scotland (North Sea).

Solvin Zankl / Chilean basket star (Gorgonocephalus chilensis) Comau Fjord, Chile.

Solvin Zankl / Tiny Brittlestars (Ophiothrix sp) wrapped around the branches of Fan coral, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean.

MYN / Sheri Mandel / Spiny brittle star (Ophiothrix spiculata), Malibu, California, USA, June, meetyourneighbours.net project

Claudio Contreras / Dark Red-spined Brittle Star (Ophiothrix purpurea), Bilang Bilangang Island, Danajon Bank, Central Visayas, Philippines, April

Benjamin Barthelemy / Brittlestar (Ophiura ophiura) clinging to rock, with mountains in the background, Bergsbotn, Senja, Norway, February.

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving over floor of rockpool encrusted with red algae (Lithothamnion sp.), near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, August.

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) well camouflaged among mix of red and green algae including Coralweed (Corallina officinalis), Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) and Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuc...

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving over floor of rockpool encrusted with red algae (Lithomnanion sp.) past Flat / Purple Top shell (Gibbula umbilicalis) low on a rocky shore, near Falmou...

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving over floor of rockpool encrusted with red algae past Flat / Purple Top shell (Gibbula umbilicalis) low on a rocky shore, near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, A...

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving over floor of rockpool encrusted with red algae past Common periwinkles (Littorina littorea) and Flat / Purple Top shell (Gibbula umbilicalis) low on a...

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving over floor of rockpool encrusted with red algae (Lithomnanion sp.), near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, August.

Nick Upton / Common brittle star (Ophiothrix fragilis) moving over floor of rockpool encrusted with red algae past Flat / Purple Top shell (Gibbula umbilicalis), Rough periwinkle (Littorina saxatilis) and Thick-li...

Juan Carlos Munoz / Fossil of Brittlestar (Ophiopetra sp) from the Jurassic period, Germany

David Shale / Soft coral (Narella or Paranarella sp) with Snake brittlestar, from coral seamount, SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean, December 2011

David Shale / Bubblegum coral (Paragorgia sp) with Snake brittlestar (Euryalida sp), from coral seamount, SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean, December 2011

David Shale / Soft coral (Narella or Paranarella sp) with snake brittlestar, from coral seamount, SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean, December 2011

Norbert Wu / Brittle Star (Ophionotus victoriae) trying to defend itself against Antarctic Sun Starfish (Labidiaster annulatus), Palmer Station, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

Alex Mustard / Boulder star coral (Montastraea annularis) spawning at night in late summer, showing the onset of the synchronised release of bundles of eggs and sperm with a Ruby brittlestar (Ophioderma iubicundum,...

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Black brittlestar (Ophiocomina nigra), yellow colour variety, with Common brittlestars (Ophiothrix fragilis), on sea bed, St Abbs (St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve), Berwickshire, Scotlan...

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Black brittlestar (Ophiocomina nigra), yellow colour variety, with Common brittlestars (Ophiothrix fragilis), on sea bed, St Abbs (St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve), Berwickshire, Scotlan...

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Black brittlestar (Ophiocomina nigra), yellow colour variety, with Common brittlestars (Ophiothrix fragilis), on sea bed, St Abbs (St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve), Berwickshire, Scotlan...

MYN / Jerry Monkman / Daisy brittle star (Ophiopholis aculeata) Rye, New Hampshire, USA January. meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Jerry Monkman / Daisy brittle star (Ophiopholis aculeata) Rye, New Hampshire, USA, January. meetyourneighbours.net project

Norbert Wu / Red Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) and brittlestars, Campbell River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

David Shale / Deepsea Brittlestar (Ophiuroidea) from a coral seamount in the Indian Ocean, November 2011

David Shale / Deepsea Brittlestar (Ophiuroidea) from a coral seamount in the Indian Ocean, November 2011

David Shale / Deepsea Brittlestar (Ophiuroidea) from a coral seamount in the Indian Ocean, November 2011

Juergen Freund / Brittlestar (Ophiothrix purpurea) on gorgonian fan coral, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Detail of Giant basket star (Astrophyton muricatum) Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Detail of Giant basket star (Astrophyton muricatum) Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Brittlestar inside a Featherstar (Ophiarachna sp) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.