Sponge Brittle Star
Ophiothrix suensonii

f22 @ 1/60s, ASA 64, Ektachrome slide film, Nikons II w 28mm and 1:2 extension tube, Oceanic flash and aluminum flash reflector

\"Ophiothrix suensoni,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Suenson\'s brittle star or the sponge brittle star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It is found in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Ophiothrix suensoni has a small central disc which is clearly demarcated from the five long thin arms. The arms can be up to 12 centimetres (4.7 in) long and the disc 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in diameter. The aboral (upper) surface of the disc is covered with scales which are ornamented with long spines. The arms are cylindrical in cross section and the surface of the lateral scales bear long, sharp, transparent spines. There is a purple, deep red or black stripe running the length of the aboral surface of each arm. The color of this brittle star is variable, being pale mauve, pink, yellow or red, and often the arms are a different hue from the disc.

Salt River Canyon, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

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