Common brittle star (Lat. Ophiotrix fragilis). It is most common on tide-swept rock and on coarse sediments, preferring hard substrates including sand and shingle. It is often found in empty shells or under stones, from the littoral zone down to 350 metres. Its disk may reach up to 2 cm in diameter. Five arms are long and spiny. The upper disk surface has a 5-rayed pattern of spines. It is very varied in colour, commonly brown or grey, but ranging through purple, red, orange, yellow and white. The arms are fragile and often broken. It is a scavanger, feeding on dead organisms. It is also a suspension feeder, raising an arm and extending the tube feet in order to catch particles floating by.