Physical Description

The species Ophiothrixcaespitosa has the general body plan of most brittle stars with fivearms and a central disc, in a radial body plan (Figure 1)

O. caespitosa isa small brittle-star species, with a maximum disc diameter of 10mm. Its armsusually reach 50mm long. The dorsal surface is covered by plates, bearingspines/granules, which are10–12 times high as wide and densely distributed(figure 2).

The ventral interradialsurface is with skin. The oral shields are covered in skin or exposed,teardrop, wider than long.

The jaw is longer thanwide, with cluster of, rounded apical papilla. Oral papillae absent and the oral tentacle pore is located out of the jaw on top of the ventraldisc. (figure 3, T O'Hara, 2010)

The species usually have 5arms with dark stripes, have a pink or light brown colour on arms and body(figure 1).