brittlestar vs Rounded Earthstar

Amphiura filiformis compared with Geastrum saccatum

Key Differences

• brittlestar is Least Concern while Rounded Earthstar is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brittlestar	Rounded Earthstar
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Echinodermata (Echinoderms)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Ophiuroidea (Ophiuroidea)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Amphilepidida (Amphilepidida)	Geastrales (Geastrales)
Family	Amphiuridae	Geastraceae
Genus	Amphiura	Geastrum
Species	Amphiura filiformis	Geastrum saccatum

Conservation Status

brittlestar

LC — Least Concern

Rounded Earthstar

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brittlestar	Rounded Earthstar
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.

Rounded Earthstar

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). 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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden