''Florometra serratissima'' is a
species of
crinoid or feather star in the
family Antedonidae. It is found off the Pacific coast of North America, usually in deep water.
Description
Like other feather stars, ''F. serratissima'' has a stalk, a
calyx
Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to:
Biology
* Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...
and a set of arms. The mouth is located on the upper side at the centre of the calyx, with the anus nearby. Surrounding the calyx are five jointed limbs. These branch at the base to form ten or more arms, each of which has jointed appendages known as pinnules growing from it, in a feather-like fashion. The centre of each arm has an
ambulacral groove down which food particles are moved by cilia to the mouth. When the arms are fully extended to either side, the crinoid may measure across. On the aboral (under) surface are clawlike
cirri which grasp the seabed. This feather star is reddish-brown. Juveniles have a long stalk.
Distribution
''F. serratissima'' is native to the Pacific coast of North America, its range extending from the
Shumagin Islands and
Sanak Islands off Alaska southward to
Isla Natividad
Isla Natividad is an island in the Pacific Ocean 6 km west off Punta Eugenia, the northwestern headland of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. 200 meters off its northwestern end lies Roca María at , with an area of 0.074 km2 ...
off Baja California. Its depth range is from ,
[ but it is more commonly found in deep water.][
]
Ecology
These crinoids can live on either rocks or soft sediment, and can move around using their cirri as feet, or can swim by beating their arms; they are suspension feeders, choosing locations with strong currents and extending their arms to catch plankton floating past.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3469174
Antedonidae
Animals described in 1907