Astrocladus euryale, the basket star, or gorgon's head is a brittlestar of the family Gorgonocephalidae found in the coastal waters of South Africa from the west coast of the Cape Peninsula to about Algoa Bay.[2][1]
| Astrocladus euryale | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basket star open for feeding | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Phrynophiurida |
| Family: | Gorgonocephalidae |
| Genus: | Astrocladus |
| Species: | A. euryale
|
| Binomial name | |
| Astrocladus euryale (Retzius 1783)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Asterias euryale Retzius, 1783 | |
Description
editThe 10 arms branch repeatedly in an alternating pattern into ever-finer tendrils, which can be extended to form a basket-like net for filter feeding, or rolled up compactly against the body disc when not feeding. The body is generally a pale grey studded with whitish knobs usually ringed with black. The pattern varies, and the colours can vary regionally. The arms are usually white to pale grey with black stripes. Disc can be up to about 200mm diameter with extended arms up to 500mm long, Often found on high points of a reef or up on sea fans, noble corals or sponges when feeding. Found on reefs from below about 10m to about 90m.[2][3]
Originally described as Asterias euryale by A. J. Retzius, in Anmärkningar vid. Asteriae genus. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens handlingar. Volume 4, pages 230–248, (1783)[1][4]
Gallery
edit-
Basket star Astrocladus euryale at Tafelberg Deep reef off the west side of the Cape Peninsula -
Basket star Astrocladus euryale at Tafelberg Deep reef -
Basket star Astrocladus euryale at Tafelberg Deep reef -
Small basket star on a nippled sea fan at Star Wall off the west side of the Cape Peninsula -
Pair of basket stars at Star Wall -
A juvenile basket star, Astrocladus euryale on a sinuous seafan, Eunicella tricoronata in 27m of water at Atantis Reef, on the west side of False Bay -
Sea fan with basket star at Finlay's Deep, on the weat side of False Bay. -
Basket star Astrocladus euryale at the Drop Zone in north eastern False Bay -
Basket star on noble coral at Middle Bank, Tsistikamma National Park MPA
References
edit- ^ a b c Stöhr, S.; O’Hara, T. & Thuy, B. (Eds) (2018). World Ophiuroidea database. Astrocladus euryale (Retzius, 1783). Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/ophiuroidea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213438 on 2018-05-19
- ^ a b Branch, G.M.; Branch, M.L.; Griffiths, C.L.; Beckley, L.E. (2010). Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa (2nd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. ISBN 978 1 77007 772 0.
- ^ Jones, Georgina (2008). A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. Cape Town: SURG. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9.
- ^ Retzius, A. J. (1783). Anmärkningar vid. Asteriae genus. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens handlingar. 4, 230-248., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/180229#page/246/mode/1up