Back Gorgonocephalus arcticus CEB Gorgonocephalus arcticus French Gorgonocephalus arcticus Hungarian Gorgonocephalus arcticus Dutch Gorgonocephalus arcticus Swedish Gorgonocephalus arcticus WAR
| Gorgonocephalus arcticus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Phrynophiurida |
| Family: | Gorgonocephalidae |
| Genus: | Gorgonocephalus |
| Species: | G. arcticus
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| Binomial name | |
| Gorgonocephalus arcticus Leach, 1819
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Gorgonocephalus arcticus is a species of basket star in the class Ophiuroidea. The genus name comes from the Greek, gorgós meaning "dreaded" and cephalus meaning "head", and refers to the similarity between these echinoids and the Gorgon's head from Greek myth with its coiled serpents for hair.[2]
Five Gorgonocephalus species were discovered from European waters, specifically four occurred in Scandinavian waters. The first was found at 300 m depth in the Skagerrak by Mortensen. Technological advances have made it possible for scientists to view the basket starr in situ via remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Additional lab research has been possible from ROVs.[3]
Gorgonocephalus arcticus populations are distributed from the Arctic to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.[4] Basket stars move along the bottom of the ocean, and G. arcticus commonly lives in areas of moderate to strong current flow.[5] This species is also able to live non parasitically on the exterior of other sessile animals while it continues to grow.[4] G. arcticus have been observed living on the exterior of Boltenia ovifera, a species of tunicates found in a similar range of the Arctic to Cape Cod.[4] This species is found in varying depths in the water column, from as shallow as the sublittoral zone to a maximum depth of 1500 m.[4] Their feeding mechanism has been extensively studied in the wild and in captivity.[4]
- ^ Hansson, Hans (2004). "Gorgonocephalus arcticus Leach, 1819". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ Mah, Christopher (26 January 2010). "GORGONOCEPHALUS!! Because Weird is what we do!". The Echinoblog. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ Rosenberg, Rutger; Dupont, Samuel; Lundälv, Tomas; Sköld, Helen Nilsson; Norkko, Alf; Roth, Josefin; Stach, Thomas; Thorndyke, Mike (2005-08-11). "Biology of the basket star Gorgonocephalus caputmedusae (L.)". Marine Biology. 148 (1): 43–50. doi:10.1007/s00227-005-0032-3. ISSN 0025-3162.
- ^ a b c d e Emson, Roland (1991). "The feeding mechanism of the basket star Gorgonocephalus arcticus". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 69 (2): 449–455. doi:10.1139/z91-070.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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