Definition:
Ophiuroidea is the taxonomic group that contains the echinoderms brittle stars and basket stars.
With many species, there is debate about the classification of organisms. Some taxonomy descriptions show Ophiuroidea as its own class within the Phylum Echinodermata, some (e.g., Encyclopedia of Life) list it as a Subclass of the Class Asterozoa, or of the Subphylum Asterozoa.
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) lists over 4,000 species in the Class Ophiuroidea.
