Common basket star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Echinodermata · Class: Ophiuroidea · Order: Euryalida · Family: Gorgonocephalidae · Genus: Gorgonocephalus.

Accepted name: Gorgonocephalus eucnemis · Authority: (Müller & Troschel, 1842) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 124969.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Astrophyton caryi Lyman, 1860; Astrophyton eucnemis Müller & Troschel, 1842; Astrophyton malmgreni Danielssen & Koren, 1877; Astrophyton stimpsoni Verrill, 1869; Gorgonocephalus caryi (Lyman, 1860); Gorgonocephalus japonicus Döderlein, 1902; Gorgonocephalus malmgreni (Danielssen & Koren, 1877); Gorgonocephalus stimpsoni (Verrill, 1869).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=124969 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Gorgonocephalus eucnemis. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 76 cm · Depth range: 8–1850 m · Habitat zone: benthic · Vulnerability index: 50.4 of 100.

SeaLifeBase notes: It is found on rocks in subtidal areas (Ref. 865).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 49582) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Gorgonocephalus-eucnemis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,537 georeferenced occurrence records for Gorgonocephalus eucnemis are published through GBIF from 12 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 420 distinct locations from a sample of 1,537 records, omitting 48 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Canada (806); United States of America (462); Russian Federation (155); Svalbard and Jan Mayen (35); Greenland (21).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2278418) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2278418&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=124969 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Gorgonocephalus eucnemis has a central disc up to 14 cm across with five pairs of arms that branch dichotomously into smaller and smaller subdivisions. Its colour is varying shades of white and beige, often with a darker disc. It has an endoskeleton of calcified ossicles and is covered in a fleshy layer of skin giving it a rubbery appearance. The arms are covered in tiny hooks and spines which can be used to grip and manipulate food particles.

G. eucnemis is found in the Arctic Ocean and northern parts of the Atlantic Ocean as far south as the Faroe Islands and Massachusetts. It also occurs in the Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea south to Japan and Laguna Beach, California. It is mostly found in rocky areas with strong currents at depths to 2000 m, but is most common at depths of 15 to 150 m. It is also found on mud and sandy seabeds among boulders, sea pens, and sea fans.

It feeds by perching in an elevated position and extending its arms in a net-like fashion perpendicular to the current. The branches and branchlets twist and coil, making it resemble an animated bush. It ensnares small crustaceans such as the northern krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica), copepods, chaetognaths, jellyfish, and detritus that come within reach. Trapped prey becomes the centre of a "knot" where it is immobilised by the secretion of mucus. Further coiling of the branches brings the food to the mouth which is on the underside of the central disc. Here, the branchlets are passed through a comb-like structure which removes the food particles. There is no anus and any undigested fragments are expelled through the mouth.

Individual basket stars are either male or female. After spawning, the larvae become part of the plankton and disperse with the currents.

G. eucnemis is cryptic and remains well hidden during the day. It is protected by the toxic nature of the sponges where it lurks, but is sometimes eaten by fish and crabs. It has been observed to return to a specific location regularly.

It is often found living in association with sponges and soft corals in the genus Gersemia, hiding under them or in the folds of the sponges during the day and using them as elevated platforms for searching for prey at night. In Puget Sound, juveniles have been found to be living and apparently feeding inside the pharynges of Gersemia rubiformis polyps, only emerging when sufficiently grown to fend for themselves.

Source: Wikipedia: Gorgonocephalus eucnemis — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgonocephalus_eucnemis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.