Feather stars

Feather stars are marine animals in phylum Echinodermata  (Echinoderms) which are in the same phylum with sea stars. Feathers stars are found on coral reefs or on the top of rocks in the areas of water current flow. In food finding, they unfolded their numerous feathers-like arms to catch food that flowed by water current and put into the oral cavity that located at the center of its lower body.

Feather stars are found both in the Gulf of Thailand and in the Andaman Sea. The feather stars in the Gulf of Thailand have no brightly colored, mostly black or brown which different from the feathers stars in the Andaman Sea that they have a beautiful vibrant colors such as scarlet, carmine, white, green, ocher and black.

In addition to the beauty, the feathers-like arms or appendix organ are available as a safety shelter for a numerous tiny sea creatures such as tiny shrimps and crabs. These creatures camouflage themselves to the same colors of the arms of feathers star in order to hiding themselves from the eyes of the enemies.

 

Pictured: Lalita Pajchim

Cotent : Thippamas Upanoi