Ophiurids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of echinoderms characterized by their central disc and long, flexible arms; often found in marine environments and known as brittle stars due to their delicate limbs
2. Marine animals belonging to a class recognized by their star-shaped body with a central disc and several slender arms; inhabit various oceanic habitats and play a role in marine ecosystems
3. Echinoderms distinguished by a central disk from which several thin, long arms extend; commonly found in ocean habitats, they exhibit a unique star-like appearance and behavior

Etymology: "Ophiurids" is the plural of "ophiurid," a noun for the brittle stars, a group of echinoderms (the same phylum as sea urchins and starfish) with slender, snakelike arms that break off easily. The name is built from Greek roots: "ophis" meaning "snake" and "oura" meaning "tail," a reference to those long, whip-like arms. The suffix "-id" is the standard scientific ending for members of a biological family, so "ophiurid" literally means a member of the snake-tailed family, and the plural simply counts several of them.