“…The multitude of hosts in which they are found includes sponges, cnidarians, ascidians, other echinoderms, algae, bryozoans, and even seahorses, which emphasizes a lack of host specificity and a lack of color association between the ophiuroid and its host in Atlantic waters (Mantellato et al 2016). Nevertheless, in Mexican Pacific specimens of O. mirabilis, in which there is greater color variability, a significant association was identified between the color of the brittle star and the host, which differs from what occurs in the Atlantic (Granja-Fernández et al 2014). This suggests a lack of predators or even the presence of a predator deterrent, such as chemical defense, in the Atlantic representatives (Mantellato et al 2016).…”