brittlestar vs Butterfly ray

Amphiura filiformis compared with Gymnura micrura

Key Differences

• brittlestar is Least Concern while Butterfly ray is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Butterfly ray
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)
Family	Amphiuridae	Gymnuridae
Genus	Amphiura	Gymnura
Species	Amphiura filiformis	Gymnura micrura

Evolutionary Relationship

brittlestar and Butterfly ray share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Butterfly ray

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brittlestar	Butterfly ray
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, and Sweden.

Butterfly ray

Habitat

Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Butterfly ray

The Butterfly ray (Gymnura micrura) is a species in the genus Gymnura. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.