Sea Lilies
Common Name: Sea Lilies
Scientific Name: Neocrinus decorus
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Crinoidea
Other Taxonomy:
Specimen #: 48
Circumstance: Observed online
Specimen Condition: Specimen condition presumed dead
Location: Unknown (online)
Typical Habitat: Sea lilies occur chiefly in deep waters, where they feed on detritus
Invasive? Not an invasive species
Natural area of growth: Sea lilies occur chiefly in deep waters, where they feed on detritus
Relationship with humans: Collected as fossils
Evolutionary Significance: Crinoids are dioecious, with separate male and female individuals. They have no true gonads, producing their gametes from genital canals found inside some of the pinnules. The pinnules eventually rupture to release the sperm and eggs into the surrounding sea water. The fertilised eggs hatch to release a free-swimming vitellaria larva. The larva is barrel-shaped with rings of cilia running round the body, and a tuft of sensory hairs at the upper pole. In some cases females have been known to temporarily brood the larvae using chambers within the arms. The larva does not feed, and lasts only for a few days before settling to the bottom and attaching itself to the underlying surface using an adhesive gland on its ventral surface. The larva then metamorphoses into a stalked adult. Even the free-swimming feather stars sometimes go through this stage, with the adult eventually breaking away from the stalk Within 10 to 16 months the crinoid will be able to reproduce.
Feeding Mechanism: feed by filtering small particles of food from the sea water with their feather like arms
Sources: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/530621/sea-lily
http://oceana.org/en/explore/marine-wildlife/sea-lily
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinoid
Scientific Name: Neocrinus decorus
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Crinoidea
Other Taxonomy:
Specimen #: 48
Circumstance: Observed online
Specimen Condition: Specimen condition presumed dead
Location: Unknown (online)
Typical Habitat: Sea lilies occur chiefly in deep waters, where they feed on detritus
Invasive? Not an invasive species
Natural area of growth: Sea lilies occur chiefly in deep waters, where they feed on detritus
Relationship with humans: Collected as fossils
Evolutionary Significance: Crinoids are dioecious, with separate male and female individuals. They have no true gonads, producing their gametes from genital canals found inside some of the pinnules. The pinnules eventually rupture to release the sperm and eggs into the surrounding sea water. The fertilised eggs hatch to release a free-swimming vitellaria larva. The larva is barrel-shaped with rings of cilia running round the body, and a tuft of sensory hairs at the upper pole. In some cases females have been known to temporarily brood the larvae using chambers within the arms. The larva does not feed, and lasts only for a few days before settling to the bottom and attaching itself to the underlying surface using an adhesive gland on its ventral surface. The larva then metamorphoses into a stalked adult. Even the free-swimming feather stars sometimes go through this stage, with the adult eventually breaking away from the stalk Within 10 to 16 months the crinoid will be able to reproduce.
Feeding Mechanism: feed by filtering small particles of food from the sea water with their feather like arms
Sources: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/530621/sea-lily
http://oceana.org/en/explore/marine-wildlife/sea-lily
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinoid