brittlestar vs Dark-Spored Puffball

Amphiura filiformis compared with Lycoperdon atropurpureum

Key Differences

brittlestar is Least Concern while Dark-Spored Puffball is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Dark-Spored Puffball
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Amphiuridae	Lycoperdaceae
Genus	Amphiura	Lycoperdon
Species	Amphiura filiformis	Lycoperdon atropurpureum

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Dark-Spored Puffball

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brittlestar	Dark-Spored Puffball
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.

Dark-Spored Puffball

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.