Attached Basket Stars (Biotic Group)

Component: Biotic

Unique Identifier: 1210

Biotic Setting	Benthic/Attached Biota
Biotic Class	Faunal Bed
Biotic Subclass	Attached Fauna
Biotic Group	Attached Basket Stars
Biotic Community	Attached Gorgonocephalus Attached Astrophyton

Description

Definition

Hard or mixed substrate areas characterized by brushy, many-armed echinoderms known as basket stars. Basket stars and brittle stars (see below) are both members of the class Ophiuroidea, but the arms of basket stars bifurcate many times to form a large complex that is reminiscent of a basket. Basket stars are usually larger than brittle stars, and maintain an upright form, generally clinging to hard substrate or solid objects using their bifurcated arms, which also function in suspension feeding.