Astrocladus euryale

Astrocladus euryale, the basket star, or gorgon's head is a brittlestar of the family Gorgonocephalidae found in the coastal waters of South Africa from the west coast of the Cape Peninsula to about Algoa Bay.[2][1]

Astrocladus euryale
Basket star open for feeding
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Ophiuroidea
Order: Euryalida
Family: Gorgonocephalidae
Genus: Astrocladus
Species:
A. euryale
Binomial name
Astrocladus euryale
(Retzius 1783)
Synonyms[1]

Asterias euryale Retzius, 1783

Description

The 10 arms branch repeatedly in an alternating pattern into ever-finer tendrils, which can be extended to form a basket-like net for filter feeding, or rolled up compactly against the body disc when not feeding. The body is generally a pale grey studded with whitish knobs usually ringed with black. The pattern varies, and the colours can vary regionally. The arms are usually white to pale grey with black stripes. Disc can be up to about 200mm diameter with extended arms up to 500mm long, Often found on high points of a reef or up on sea fans, noble corals or sponges when feeding. Found on reefs from below about 10m to about 90m.[2][3]

Originally described as Asterias euryale by A. J. Retzius, in Anmärkningar vid. Asteriae genus. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens handlingar. Volume 4, pages 230-248, (1783)[1][4]

  • Basket star Astrocladus euryale at Tafelberg Deep reef off the west side of the Cape Peninsula
  • Basket star Astrocladus euryale at Tafelberg Deep reef
  • Basket star Astrocladus euryale at Tafelberg Deep reef
  • Small basket star on a nippled sea fan at Star Wall off the west side of the Cape Peninsula
  • Pair of basket stars at Star Wall
  • A juvenile basket star, Astrocladus euryale on a sinuous seafan, Eunicella tricoronata in 27m of water at Atantis Reef, on the west side of False Bay
  • Sea fan with basket star at Finlay's Deep, on the weat side of False Bay.
  • Basket star Astrocladus euryale at the Drop Zone in north eastern False Bay
  • Basket star on noble coral at Middle Bank, Tsistikamma National Park MPA
gollark: No, it does count, Tux1 is lying to you as he works for the bee antiparticles.
gollark: The jar is *itself* a meme.
gollark: Metaapiomemetic.
gollark: Yes. The jar is apiomemetic, see.
gollark: BëË you, TÜx 1.

References
  1. Stöhr, S.; O’Hara, T. & Thuy, B. (Eds) (2018). World Ophiuroidea database. Astrocladus euryale (Retzius, 1783). Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/ophiuroidea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213438 on 2018-05-19
  2. Branch, G.M.; Branch, M.L.; Griffiths, C.L.; Beckley, L.E. (2010). Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa (2nd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. ISBN 978 1 77007 772 0.
  3. Jones, Georgina (2008). A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. Cape Town: SURG. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9.
  4. Retzius, A. J. (1783). Anmärkningar vid. Asteriae genus. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens handlingar. 4, 230-248., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/180229#page/246/mode/1up
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.