Arched Earthstar vs brittlestar

Geastrum fornicatum compared with Amphiura filiformis

Key Differences

Arched Earthstar is Critically Endangered while brittlestar is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arched Earthstar	brittlestar
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)
Order	Geastrales (Geastrales)	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)
Family	Geastraceae	Amphiuridae
Genus	Geastrum	Amphiura
Species	Geastrum fornicatum	Amphiura filiformis

Conservation Status

Arched Earthstar

CR — Critically Endangered

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arched Earthstar	brittlestar
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arched Earthstar

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

brittlestar

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Arched Earthstar

The Arched Earthstar (Geastrum fornicatum) is a species in the genus Geastrum. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the.

brittlestar

The Brittlestar (Amphiura filiformis) is a species in the genus Amphiura. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.