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.
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