Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Feather Star Color Bonanza!

Feather Star
A key lime colored crinoid by Frederique Jaffeux, South Ari Atoll in the Maldives
This week, some brightly, eye-jarring crinoids in mind-blowing COLOR! What are crinoids, aka feather stars?  They are echinoderms that hold their feathery arms up in the water and pick food out of the current as it flows through/past them!  Want to learn MORE about crinoids? Visit this awesome site by Dr. Chuck Messing!

Purple and white feeding fan of a feather star from the Maldives!
Crinoid Fan
Image by Bil Stohler
Here-some brightly colored blue feeding structures called pinnules are seen on the arm...
blue crinoid
Image by mimimoyer
A gorgeous crinoid from Okinawa withdrawn into itself
Feather star - in protection mode!
By Okinawa Nature Photography
A stunning green crinoid from Okinawa.
( Oxycomanthus bennetti ) feather star- okinawa
By Okinawa Nature Photography (Shawn Miller)
Stunning orange..
Feather Star
Image by Henry and Tersia. Borneo.
Black and White on a red sea fan.
Crinoid on Seafan
Image by Randapex
Macro of Blue Oxycomanthus arms. fr. Bali.
Just a crinoid (Oxycomanthus sp.)
Image by Arne Kuilman
Blue crinoid in repose fr. Indonesia.
Koala Crinoid 2033
Image by Courtney Platt
Black & White Crinoid from the Philippines
black 'n white feather star
Image by Mona Dienhart & Chris Lebas

There is a fish in this picture! Can you spot it?
Crinoid clingfish (Discotrema crinophila)
Image by Arne Kuilman
A crinoid in a lovecraftian pose!
Crinoid Flexing
Image by Eddy Wong

3 comments:

liminalD said...

These are quite simply stunning. I love that red/orange one!

This is a fantastic blog, entertaining and educational, please keep it up!

Tomek said...

Black & white cronoid. Do smb know latin name?
I have the same pic from Philipines and I try to identify it.

ChrisM said...

sorry I don't!