Crinoids, with their elegant, flower-like appearance, are commonly known as feather stars and sea lilies. MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles have observed several different crinoid species at depths ranging from shallow waters to deep areas on the seafloor from the Aleutian Islands off Alaska to Baja California, Mexico. They use their feathery arms to capture small plankton drifting in the currents. The food is then moved to the mouth, which faces up in the center of the arms. Sea lilies are always attached with a holdfast and cannot move, but feather stars can swim away at the slightest disturbance.
