Brittlestar beds

In some places the seabed writhes with a living mat of brittlestars. These can be as dense as up to 2,000 brittlestars per metre square to the exclusion of most other animals. If currents become too strong and the brittlestars are in danger of being swept away, they link arms with their neighbours and lie flat to the seabed, forming a living carpet. Brittlestar beds can also be found in areas of less extreme water currents such as headlands inside sea lochs.