Initially mistaken for a sea feather, this pink 12-armed animal is actually a brisingid sea star. The spines on its arms are covered with small, claw-like structures that it uses to catch small crustaceans as they swim by in the current. It then uses its tube feet to move its prey down to its mouth (at its center).
Brisingid Sea Star
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).
Initially mistaken for a sea feather, this pink 12-armed animal is actually a brisingid sea star. The spines on its arms are covered with small, claw-like structures that it uses to catch small crustaceans as they swim by in the current. It then uses its tube feet to move its prey down to its mouth (at its center).
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