brittlestar vs Least Moonwort

Amphiura filiformis compared with Botrychium simplex

Key Differences

• brittlestar is Least Concern while Least Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Least Moonwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Tracheophyta
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Amphiuridae	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Amphiura	Botrychium
Species	Amphiura filiformis	Botrychium simplex

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Least Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brittlestar	Least Moonwort
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.

Least Moonwort

Habitat

Inhabits boreal forests and taiga within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (8 countries) and North America (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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden