Bennett's Feather Star

Description

Oxycomanthus bennetti grows up to 300 mm. It has 31-120 feathery arms, usually held up into the water in order trap the food. The mouth is on the upper side of the small disklike body, among the arms. The arms have numerous finger-like appendages known as pinnules. The color of this species is quite variable, ranging from yellow to brown and purple. At the beginning of their life these feather stars stay attached to the seabed by a stalk, while mature specimen break the stalk becoming free-living. They feed on detritus, phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Distribution

This species is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, from Bay of Bengal and Maldives to Marshall Islands and from China to Australia, Bali and Indonesia.

Habitat

Bennett's feather star inhabits exposed coral heads with strong currents, at a depth of 0 - 50 m.