About Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1828)
Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1828) is a small brittle star, with color ranging from grey to bluish-white, and it is phosphorescent. Brooding individuals of this species emit more light than non-brooding individuals. It has thin, short arms that are around 20 mm long. Its round central disc measures 3 to 5 mm, and the disc is covered in scales that include D-shaped radial plates. This species has rhombic-shaped mouth shields and extremely wide mouth papillae. This brittle star is found across all parts of the British Isles and in Ireland. It has also been recorded in many other regions around the world, including France and New Zealand, among other locations. One conference paper refers to it as a cosmopolitan species. Molecular studies have confirmed that this taxon forms a species complex containing multiple distinct species. This brittle star inhabits the intertidal zone of shallow water. It can be found under large stones and shells, and around sessile invertebrates such as bryozoans.
