1. A marine animal with a small central disk and five long, thin, flexible arms, related to the starfish.
Usage: Also called brittle star (two words) or ophiuroid in scientific contexts.; Common in ocean ecosystems worldwide.

Examples

• The brittlestar moved quickly across the ocean floor using its long, spindly arms.
• Brittlestars are more agile than regular starfish and can regenerate lost arms.
• Divers observed a brittlestar hiding under a rock on the reef.
• Unlike starfish, brittlestars have distinct central disks and separate arms.
• The brittlestar's name comes from its fragile arms that break easily if threatened.