Feather Star Color Bonanza!

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!

Image by Bil Stohler

Here-some brightly colored blue feeding structures called pinnules are seen on the arm...

Image by mimimoyer

A gorgeous crinoid from Okinawa withdrawn into itself

By Okinawa Nature Photography

A stunning green crinoid from Okinawa.

By Okinawa Nature Photography (Shawn Miller)

Stunning orange..

Image by Henry and Tersia. Borneo.

Black and White on a red sea fan.

Image by Randapex

Macro of Blue Oxycomanthus arms. fr. Bali.

Image by Arne Kuilman

Blue crinoid in repose fr. Indonesia.

Image by Courtney Platt

Black & White Crinoid from the Philippines

Image by Mona Dienhart & Chris Lebas

There is a fish in this picture! Can you spot it?

Image by Arne Kuilman

A crinoid in a lovecraftian pose!

Image by Eddy Wong