A Feather Star in the Great Barrier Reef

Common Name: Feather Star or Sea Lilies
Family: Echinodermata

Feather Stars as juveniles are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk with root like branches with their mouth side facing upward.  In the adult stage they break away from the stalk and move about freely.  Feather Stars have water vascular or ambulacral systems, similar to those in other echinoderms, that extend into the branched arms on the body or crown.  Some can swim by undulating movements of the arms.  Feather Stars creep about by means of projections at the base of the crown, called cirri, which can grasp bottom objects.  These marine animals, like all echinoderms are widely distributed throughout the world.  They are most common in relatively shallow, warm waters but some can live in cold water and a number of species occur in the ocean depths beyond the reach of scuba divers. 

Feather Stars are filter feeders. Most obtain their nutrition by spreading their feeding arms to sieve the passing sea water for microscopic organisms.  Mucus on the tube feet located on each arm, ensnares the prey.  The food is then flung into a groove on the arm.  Beating fibres convey the food down the grooves on the arms towards the mouth where the food enters the digestive tract.

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