Comaster nobilis
{{Short description|Species of crinoid}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Comasteridae - Comaster nobilis.jpg
| image_caption = Comaster nobilis in Sulawesi, Indonesia
| genus = Comaster
| species = nobilis
| authority = (Carpenter, 1884)
| synonyms =
- Actinometra duplex Carpenter, 1888
- Actinometra dissimilis Carpenter, 1884
- Actinometra nobilis Carpenter, 1884
- Comanthina nobilis (Carpenter, 1884)
}}
Comaster nobilis, the noble feather star or yellow feather star, is a crinoid in the family Comatulidae. It was previously classified as Comanthina nobilis but further research showed that it was better placed in the genus Comaster.
Description
File:Comasteridae - Comaster nobilis-001.jpg, Indonesia]] Comaster nobilis can reach a diameter of about {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=on}}. It has a cup-shaped body with 35-40 arms, extended out from the central disc. This species may occur in a number of colour variations. Usually it has yellow arms, sometimes with some black or green and white on the under surface close to the centre. It feeds on detritus, phytoplankton and zooplankton. The larvae of this feather star swim freely with plankton for a few weeks, then they settle down growing into a stalked form. Mature specimen break the stalk becoming free-living.
Distribution
This species is widespread in the Indo-Pacific, from Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef up to Indonesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia and Philippines.
Habitat
It is found on hard or soft corals in shallow water reefs, at a depth of 10 – 50 m.
References
- [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=246755 WoRMS]
- [http://eol.org/pages/4705818/overview EoL]
- [http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=217413 Bardode of Life]
- [http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/echinodermata/crinoidea/crinoidea.htm Wild Singapore]
- Shimek, R. L. (2004). Marine Invertebrates: Introduction to Feather Stars or Crinoids. TFH Publications. pp. 364–366
External links
- [http://www.diveplanet.ru/en/sea-inhabitants/Comasteridae/noble-feather-star-comanrthina-comaster-nobilis/ Dive Planet]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100701060510/http://spineless.ucsd.edu/Site01/Australian%20crinoids/Lizard%20Island/species%20pages/Cnobilis.html Spineless]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1283198}}
Category:Animals described in 1884
{{Crinoidea-stub}}