Beautiful feather star
Himerometra robustipinna
Orange feather star
Cenolia trichoptera
About
The orange feather star is a feather star of temperate Australasia. Reef Life Survey divers record it at about 60% of the reef sites they survey within its range.
Also known as: cenolia trichoptera
- Depth
- up to 70 m
How to tell it apart
Look for arms of one plain colour (orange, yellow, purple, white or brown) held up from a crevice or from under a rock. The similar Comanthus tasmaniae has a mottled pattern.
Appearance
It comes in several colour forms, most notably orange, yellow, purple, white and brown. The colour generally does not change along the arms.
Habitat
Temperate Australasia, from 0 to 70 m, in water of about 10 to 25 °C.
Behaviour
The central disc usually stays hidden in a crevice or under a rock, while the arms are held up in the water.
Diet
The pinnules on its arms trap passing plankton.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
