Like starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, Gorgonocephalus eucnemis, or basket stars, are echinoderms. They have round, flat bodies and five many-branched arms that can reach up to three feet long and will regenerate if wounded. They rest by day, then at night they roam the floor of the deep ocean looking for a spot with a strong current in which to hunt. Perched atop a rock or coral, they unfurl their complex arms lined with "jointed" hooks and spines, forming a net to catch krill, small crustaceans and zooplankton. When threatened, a basket star will wrap its arms around itself to form a...
Reader Comments(0)