Ophiolepididae are a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
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. 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 (stratigraphy), stage or earliest geologic age, age of the Middle Triassic series (stratigraphy), series or geologic epoch, epoch and lasted from million years ago until million years ag ...
age of the
Middle Triassic
In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epoch (geology), epochs of the Triassic period (geology), period or the middle of three series (stratigraphy), series in which the Triassic system (stratigraphy), system is di ...
. 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
Amphilepidida
Extant Early Cretaceous first appearances
Echinoderm families
{{ophiuroidea-stub