parent_taxon zeugophiurina
Brittle stars or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class ___MASK6___ closely related to ___MASK96___ . They crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomotion . The ophiuroids generally have five long , slender , whip - like arms which may reach up to in length on the largest specimens . They are also known as serpent stars ; the New Latin class name ___MASK6___ is derived from the Ancient Greek  , meaning " serpent ". In formal nomenclature . When formally naming a taxon , uncertainty about its taxonomic classification can be problematic . The International Code of Nomenclature for algae , ___MASK38___ , and plants , stipulates that " species and subdivisions of genera must be assigned to genera , and infraspecific taxa must be assigned to species , because their names are combinations ", but ranks higher than the genus may be assigned " incertae sedis ". ___MASK68___ fugiens is the only one living species in the brittle star family Ophiocanopidae . It has been regarded as the most primitive brittle star , close to Paleozoic forms , though other authors have disagreed with the view . " ___MASK68___ " is usually placed in the order ___MASK40___ ( suborder Zeugophiurina ) or regarded as a genus " incertae sedis " or even given its own subclass Oegophiuridea . Some recent data suggest its relationship to the extant family Ophiomyxidae ( it would thus belong to the order Phrynophiurida ). The ___MASK81___ ( formerly called Euryalae ) are an order of brittle stars containing the basket stars . The ___MASK40___ are an order of brittle stars , class ___MASK6___ . Zeugophiurina is a suborder of primitive brittle stars with three extinct families . The family Ophiocanopidae with only one living genus and species , ___MASK68___ fugiens has been placed here but recent studies have challenged this classification .