It is a fast-growing brittle star and is not thought to live for more than three years.

The common brittle star is a scavenger, feeding on dead organisms.

The central disk of brittle stars can be three to eight inches in diameter.

Many brittle stars are more fragile than starfish, which is how they got their name.

They are then straightened as the brittle star raises itself onto the points.

The inside of the sponge is hollow and often contains small brittle stars.

Some sea floor communities are dominated by brittle stars.

There are over 2,000 species of brittle stars living today.

Both shallow water and deep-sea species of brittle stars are known to produce light.

It includes the vast majority of living brittle stars.