Ophiolepididae are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of
brittle star
Brittle stars, serpent stars, or ophiuroids (; ; referring to the serpent-like arms of the brittle star) are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea, closely related to starfish. They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomot ...
s of the suborder
Ophiurina
Ophiurina are a suborder of brittle stars containing the majority of living brittle star species.
Systematics
There is currently no consensus as to the subdivision of the Ophiurina (traditionally, the infraorders have been treated as suborders). ...
. It includes both deep-sea and shallow-water species.
Systematics and phylogeny
The fossils of Ophiolepididae date back to the
Anisian
In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from million years ago until million years ago. The Anisian Age succeeds the Olenekian Age (part of the Lower Triassic ...
age of the
Middle Triassic
In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassic period or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided in chronostratigraphy. The Middle Triassic spans the time between Ma and ...
. The family includes the following living genera:
MarineSpecies.org - Ophiolepididae Ljungman, 1867
/ref>
*'' Amphipholizona''
*'' Aspidophiura''
*'' Ophiolepis''
*'' Ophiomaria''
*'' Ophiomidas''
*'' Ophiomusa''
*'' Ophioplinthus''
*'' Ophiothyreus''
*'' Ophiotrochus''
*'' Ophiozonoida''
*'' Ophiuroconis''
*'' Ophiurodon''
References
Ophiurida
Extant Early Cretaceous first appearances
{{ophiuroidea-stub