Brittle stars - Zoological and botanical plate - Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur

Engraving reproduction of: Ophiures

Original title Ophiodea - Schlangensterne

Poster of Ophiothrix - Echinoderms of the class Brittle Stars (Order Brittle Stars)

Illustration from the book Kunstformen der Natur, which is a collection of artistic lithographs of natural sciences published by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel between 1899 and 1904.

This naturalistic illustration is part of an overall style inspired by Ernst Haeckel, which greatly influenced the emerging Art Nouveau movement at the beginning of the ^20th century. This work, illustrating the impressive beauty and great diversity of the biological world, was complemented by a certain amount of scientific information, some excerpts of which are reproduced below.

This information is over 120 years old and some of it may be outdated!

Scientific classification:

 Phylum Echinoderms (Echinoderma)
Main class Pygocincten (Pentacrinoida)
Class of Brittle Stars (Ophiodea)
Order Ophiuroidea (Colophiura)

Scientific notice (extract) accompanying the poster print of Ophiodea - Ophiures :

The five-rayed body of the Schlangensterne, which lives on the seabed, is supported by a strong and flexible calcareous skeleton. From the central five-rayed plate, five jointed arms extend, often very long, mobile, and armed with spines.

Species present on the naturalist plate of Ophiures - Ophiothrix :

• Ophiothrix capillaris
• Ophiotholia supplicans
• Ophiocoma rosula
• Astroschema brachiatum
• Astroschema horridum
• Astroschema rubrum
• Ophiocreas oedipus
• Pluteus paradoxus