Ophiura

See text Ophiura is a genus of echinoderms belonging to the family Ophiuridae.

[2] The genus has cosmopolitan distribution.

[2] The following extant species are known:[2]

The following definitive fossil species are known.

The genus dates back to at least the Early Paleocene with O. achatae:[1] The following species, dating back to the Early Jurassic, were originally placed in Ophiura but are now thought to belong to a different subdivision, or are at least known to not actually belong to the genus:[1]

Fossil of O. wetherelli from the London Clay ( Natural History Museum, London )
Fossilized assemblage of O. hendleri , from the La Meseta Formation of Antarctica ( UIUC )