Mediterranean Feather Star
The Mediterranean feather star (Antedon mediterranea) is a ten-armed crinoid of rocky bottoms in the Mediterranean and nearby Atlantic. It is a close relative of the rosy feather star of northern seas.
The Mediterranean feather star (Antedon mediterranea) is a ten-armed crinoid of rocky bottoms in the Mediterranean and nearby Atlantic. It is a close relative of the rosy feather star of northern seas.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Mediterranean Feather Star in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Deuterostomia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Ancient Body Plan
Crinoids are among the oldest echinoderm groups. The feather star's mouth faces up, with five-fold symmetry visible in its arms, which branch into ten. Larvae settle first on a stalk, then break free as juveniles.
Feeding in the Current
The animal perches on rocks and sponges with arms outstretched and catches particles in mucus on its tube feet. See Rosy Feather Star.
Sensitive to Disturbance
Trawling and anchoring damage the rocky habitats where it lives. Fossils of related crinoids form limestone beds across the world.
Mediterranean Feather Star at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Antedon mediterranea |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Echinodermata |
| Class | Crinoidea |
| Order | Comatulida |
| Family | Antedonidae |
| Field Guide group | Deuterostomia: Echinodermata (Sea Stars & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Ten slender red-and-white feathery arms radiating from a tiny cup-shaped body; swims by beating alternate arms up and down. |
| Class | Crinoidea |
| Arms | Ten |