Answered: Briefly explain how this type of…

Concepts of Biology

1st Edition

ISBN:9781938168116

Author:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James Wise

Publisher:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James Wise

Chapter15: Diversity Of Animals

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 4RQ: Which of the following is not a feature common to most animals? a. development into a fixed body...

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Briefly explain how this type of reproduction is beneficial to your organism? Cite evidence from the text in the image to support your explanation.

Transcribed Image Text:Animal Profile: BRITTLE STAR (Ophiactis savignyi) Peer into the hole of a sea sponge and you may catch a glimpse of the brittle star Ophiactis savignyi. These creatures are tiny: only an inch or two across with ams stretched. They inhabit virtually all of the world's tropical and sub-tropical ocean habitats. Brittle stars are related to starfish. They have a similar body structure. The central disk holds all the important stuff like the mouth, stomach and re- productive organs. Then there are the armsHong, slender, wavy and edged with short spines. These arms are what give brittle stars their name. They can break off and regenerate. O. savignyi takes regeneration a step further. It actu- ally splits in half to reproduce. When fission hap- pens, the brittle star breaks down the middle of its disk to make two identical 3-armed halves. These half-stars then grow three new arms. But this isn't the only way O. savignyi reproduces. Like all brittle stars, they also reproduce sexually. At certain times of the year, large females and males raise their disks off the surface, balance on their legs, and release sperm and eggs into the ocean. When the spem and eggs meet, they make larvae that float away to new habitats. Fission is the main way that Ophiocomella repro- duce. But since they don't move far or fast, large groups of brittle star clones build up in one area. Scientists think sexual reproduction might help brittle stars move into new areas far from their clone-filled sponge homes.

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