brittlestar vs Lesser Smoothcap

Amphiura chiajei compared with Atrichum angustatum

Key Differences

• brittlestar is Least Concern while Lesser Smoothcap is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Lesser Smoothcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Bryophyta
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Polytrichopsida (Polytrichopsida)
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Polytrichales (Polytrichales)
Family	Amphiuridae	Polytrichaceae
Genus	Amphiura	Atrichum
Species	Amphiura chiajei	Atrichum angustatum

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Lesser Smoothcap

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brittlestar	Lesser Smoothcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

brittlestar

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Lesser Smoothcap

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

brittlestar

The Brittlestar (Amphiura chiajei) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden