Definition

Noun: 1. A type of brittle star: A basket fish is a marine animal related to starfish, characterized by a small central disc and five long, slender, highly branched arms that repeatedly fork and interlace to form a complex, basket-like structure. They are found in deep-sea environments.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The remotely operated vehicle captured a stunning image of a basket fish clinging to a deep-sea coral.
  • Unlike a common starfish, the arms of a basket fish are intricately branched for filter feeding.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific Context: In marine biology, "basket fish" is a common name for specific genera (e.g., ) within the class Ophiuroidea (brittle stars and basket stars). They are distinguished from simpler brittle stars by their highly branched arms.

Variants and Related Words

• Basket star: This is a direct synonym and is often used interchangeably with "basket fish."
• Brittle star: This is the broader category to which basket fish belong. All basket fish are brittle stars, but not all brittle stars are basket fish.
• Gorgonocephalus: This is a key genus of basket fish, often called the "giant basket star."

Synonyms

• Basket star

Related Terms (Not Direct Synonyms)

• Brittle star
• Ophiuroid
• Echinoderm (the larger phylum including starfish, sea urchins, and basket stars)

Noun

1. any starfish-like animal of the genera Euryale or Astrophyton or Gorgonocephalus having slender complexly branched interlacing arms radiating from a central disc