Brittle stars or
ophiuroids are
echinoderms in the class
Ophiuroidea closely related to
starfish. They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long, slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to in length on the largest specimens. They are also known as serpent stars; the
New Latin class name Ophiuroidea is derived from the
Ancient Greek ὄφις, meaning "serpent".