About Ophiocoma echinata (Lamarck, 1816)
Ophiocoma echinata is a large brittle star species with a maximum armspan of 25 cm (10 in). Its arms are slender and tapering, densely covered in short spines, and are clearly separated from its central disc. The species is dark-colored with pale or cream-colored markings, and its arms never have any red markings. Ophiocoma echinata is native to the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. It is common across the Caribbean at depths up to around 30 metres (98 ft). It can be found in seagrass meadows, on reefs and reef flats, and typically hides under rocks, in cracks and crevices, under coral heads, and inside sponges.
