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Rosy feather star

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Another member of the echinoderm phylum, feather stars share some characteristics with true starfish, but also have their very own intriguing adaptations and behaviours, which make them a fascinating find for SCUBA divers!

Enw gwyddonol

Antedon bifida

Pryd i'w gweld

April – October when SCUBA diving.

Top facts

Stats

Diameter 10-20 cm, most abundant between depths of 15m and 40m.
Common.

Ynghylch

Only found in deeper water, feather stars spend most of their time anchored to the seabed, seaweed or sometimes sponge, using extremely strong claw like appendages. They are suspension feeders, sifting out bits of plankton from the surrounding seawater using their tube feet, a characteristic of all echinoderms!

What to look for

Ten feathery arms, 5-10cm in length and usually red and white in colour, sometimes looking mottled.

Where to find

Common around British coast, except for south east.

Roeddech chi yn gwybod?

Feather stars can swim by sweeping their arms and down!