General Description

Small crinoids with 10 arms. The mouth (the hole where the food grooves coalesce) is central on the disc and the anal cone is placed to one side. The gonads, which sit like fleshy lateral extensions to the pinnules (secondary branches) start on the third pinnule from the mouth. The first (oral) pinnule is short, consisting of only 6-10 segments. The second is two thirds as long as the first. The cirri are laterally flattened with elongated segments. Colour is light purple or brown, often variegated with white, sometimes with stripes along arms. Arm up to 5 cm long.

Biology

One of the smaller, more cryptic species of crinoids in southern Australia.

Distribution

South-eastern Australia.

Habitat

Rocky reefs and seagrass beds, to depth of 18 m.

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