brittlestar vs Plain Smudge

Amphiura filiformis compared with Ypsolopha lucella

Key Differences

• brittlestar is Least Concern while Plain Smudge is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Plain Smudge
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Amphiuridae	Ypsolophidae
Genus	Amphiura	Ypsolopha
Species	Amphiura filiformis	Ypsolopha lucella

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Plain Smudge

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brittlestar	Plain Smudge
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.

Plain Smudge

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. 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