Amphiuridae

Taxobox
name = Amphiuridae
fossil_range = Jurassic - present [J. Roman, G. Breton, and C. Vadon. 1993. Ophiurides et Astéride (Echinodermata) du Tithonien de Canjuers (Var, France). Annales de Paléontologie 79(1):1-18]


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Echinodermata
subphylum = Eleutherozoa
classis = Ophiuroidea
ordo = Ophiurida
subordo = Gnathophiurina
familia = Amphiuridae
familia_authority = Ljungman, 1867
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text.

Amphiuridae (commonly called long-armed burrowing brittle stars [P.Lambert, Checklist of the Echinoderms of British Columbia (April 2007), Royal British Columbia Museum] or burrowing brittle stars) are a large family of brittle stars of the suborder Gnathophiurina. Some species are used to study echinoderm development (e.g. "Amphipholis kochii" [Yamashita,M., Embryonic Development of the Brittle-Star Amphipholis kochii in Laboratory Culture, Biol. Bull. 169: 131-142(Aug., 1985)] and "Amphioplus abditus" [Hendler,G, Development of Amphioplus abditus (Verrill) (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea): I. Larval Biology,Biol.Bull., Vol.152, No.1 (Feb., 1977)] ) and bioluminescence (the dwarf brittle star, "Amphipholis squamata" [P.Brehm, J.G. Morin. Localization and Characterization of Luminescent Cells in Ophiopsila californica and Amphipholis squamata (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) Biological Bulletin, Vol. 152, No. 1 (Feb., 1977)] [Dewael Y, Mallefet J., Luminescence in ophiuroids (Echinodermata) does not share a common nervous control in all species, J Exp Biol. 2002 Mar;205] ).

Characteristics

Amphiuridae are generally small brittlestars. Their jaws are always with two apical papillae at the tip, and one or more papillae on each side [Hendler,G. Ophiuroid Skeleton Ontogeny Reveals Homologies Among Skeletal Plates of Adults: A Study of Amphiura filiformis, Amphiura stimpsonii and Ophiophragmus filograneus (Echinodermata), Biol.Bull. 174:20-29.(Feb.1988)] .

ystematics and phylogeny

Amphiuridae are the most diverse family of Ophiurida with over 200 species. It contains the following genera: [ [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=123206 MarineSpecies.org - Amphiuridae Ljungman, 1867 ] ] [ITIS|ID=157646|taxon=Amphiuridae]

In addition, two extinct genera are known [ [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=80863&is_real_user=0 The Paleobiology Database ] ] :
* † "Deckersamphiura" Jagt, 2000
* † "Xanthamphiura" Hess 1970

Ecology

Amphiuridae are found in oceans worldwide from tropics to Arctic and Antarctic regions, with some species living in brackish water [R.L.Turner, Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Low Salinity on the Brackish-water Amphiurid Brittlestar Ophiophragmus filograneus (Lyman, 1875) From the Indian River Lagoon, Florida.Florida Scientist, Vol 70, 4 (Sept.2007)] . They live mostly by burrowing in the seafloor or hiding under rocks. Most of them are herbivores or detritus feeders.

References