brittle star
noun
: any of a class or subclass (Ophiuroidea) of echinoderms that have slender flexible arms distinct from the central disk
Examples of brittle star in a Sentence
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In one fascinating recent case, it was discovered that the brooding brittle star (Amphipholis squamata) was likely the result of multiple hybridization events that resulted in a potentially asexual form of reproduction.
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Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024
Enlarge / The brooding brittle star (Amphipholis squamata) was likely the result of multiple hybridization events.
—Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024
Environmental scientists worry that harvesting nodules will send up plumes of sediment into the water and kill anything living on the seafloor, such as brittle stars and bizarre sea cucumber species like the one known as the gummy squirrel.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Photos show the spark brittle star’s orange coloring while alive and dulled yellow tones after being preserved.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
Millions of years ago, animals in this phylum—including starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins—were all bilateral.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
But not all energy is created equal: thermal energy (i.e., water temperature) dictates brittle star diversity patterns at depths shallower than 2,000 meters, but chemical energy takes over in the deep sea.
—Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2016
O'Hara hopes that the discovery of this ancient lineage of brittle star will excite the public and academic community enough to justify funding for further taxonomic deep sea research.
—Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2021
Scientists from the French Natural History Museum collected an ancient specimen of brittle star (Ophiojura) in 2011.
—Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2021
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Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024
Enlarge / The brooding brittle star (Amphipholis squamata) was likely the result of multiple hybridization events.
—Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024
Environmental scientists worry that harvesting nodules will send up plumes of sediment into the water and kill anything living on the seafloor, such as brittle stars and bizarre sea cucumber species like the one known as the gummy squirrel.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Photos show the spark brittle star’s orange coloring while alive and dulled yellow tones after being preserved.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
Millions of years ago, animals in this phylum—including starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins—were all bilateral.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
But not all energy is created equal: thermal energy (i.e., water temperature) dictates brittle star diversity patterns at depths shallower than 2,000 meters, but chemical energy takes over in the deep sea.
—Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2016
O'Hara hopes that the discovery of this ancient lineage of brittle star will excite the public and academic community enough to justify funding for further taxonomic deep sea research.
—Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2021
Scientists from the French Natural History Museum collected an ancient specimen of brittle star (Ophiojura) in 2011.
—Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Brittle star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brittle%20star. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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