Klunzinger's Feather Star

Overview

Klunzinger's Feather Star (Dichrometra palmata) is a distinctive marine invertebrate belonging to the class Crinoidea. Like other feather stars, it is an unstalked echinoderm that uses specialized appendages to cling to reef structures while extending its feathery arms into the water column to capture food.

Appearance

This species typically reaches a size of approximately 25 cm. It possesses a central, cup-shaped body from which multiple feathery arms extend. These arms are lined with small, hair-like protrusions called pinnules, which are coated in a sticky substance to help trap plankton. The coloration of the animal is known to be quite variable, allowing it to blend into various reef environments.

Distribution & habitat

Klunzinger's Feather Star is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific region, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, East Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, and parts of the Western Pacific. It is commonly found in subtidal and infralittoral zones, often perching on hard substrates such as corals, sponges, and gorgonians.

Biology & behavior

Unlike its stalked relatives, the sea lilies, this feather star is capable of movement. It uses claw-like appendages known as cirri to grip surfaces firmly, but it can also use its feathery arms to propel itself through the water or crawl across the seafloor. Both its mouth and anus are located on the upper side of its central disc, an adaptation that helps prevent the fouling of its feeding currents. If an arm is lost to a predator, the species is capable of regenerating the limb.