A taxon of brittle stars. They are considered to be of the suborder Euryalina or Euryalida. Many of them have characteristic repeatedly branched arms.
They generally live in deep-sea habitats. However, in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, they have been observed at 15 meters or less. In the wild, they can live up to 35 years. They can weigh up to 5 kg. Like other echinoderms, basket stars lack blood and achieve gas exchange through a water vascular system. Basket stars are the largest snake-like animals, with Gorgonocephalus stimpsoni having arms up to 70 cm long and a disc diameter of 14 cm.
