Antedon mediterranea

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Antedon mediterranea
Antedon mediterranea.jpg
Antedon mediterranea clinging to a cable with its cirri
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Crinoidea
Order: Comatulida
Family: Antedonidae
Genus: Antedon
Species:
A. mediterranea
Binomial name
Antedon mediterranea
(Lamarck, 1816) [1]
Synonyms [1]
  • Antedon adriatica AH Clark, 1911
  • Comatula annulata Risso, 1826
  • Comatula mediterranea Lamarck, 1816

Antedon mediterranea is a species of stalkless crinoid in the family Antedonidae, commonly known as the Mediterranean feather star. It is found on the seabed at moderate depths in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a filter feeder and captures plankton with its long feathery arms.

Contents

Description

Antedon mediterranea has a vestigial stalk, the base of which bears up to forty grasping cirri, articulated prehensile structures with which it can cling to a hard surface. Above this is the calyx, a small, cup-shaped structure, which is surrounded by five pairs of arms which bear feathery pinnules. The arms can be rolled up if danger threatens, but when they are extended to feed, they are about 10 cm (4 in) long. They are fragile but if one gets broken off, the animal can regenerate it. The colour of this crinoid is quite variable and ranges from white, yellow, orange or red to brown and dark purple, sometimes with bands of contrasting colour. [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

Antedon mediterranea is found in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and westward to the south coast of Spain and Cape St. Vincent. [1] It is found at depths down to about 80 metres (260 ft) and favours areas with strong currents which bring plenty of food within reach. [2] It is found on rocky or sandy seabeds rich in algae including encrusting algae, or among sea grasses (Posidonia oceanica). It hides during the day in concealed locations emerging at night into more exposed areas. It is gregarious and is often found clinging to sea whips, bryozoans, algae or sea grasses. [3]

Biology

Antedon mediterranea Antedon mediterranea (Lamarck, 1816).jpg
Antedon mediterranea

Antedon mediterranea feeds by filtering out plankton and other small particles from the passing sea water. The food is then wrapped in mucus and passed by the tube feet down the ambulacral grooves on the arms to the central mouth which is on the upper side of the calyx. Antedon mediterranea can move around to a limited extent by creeping on its cirri, by "swimming", alternately raising and lowering its ten arms five at a time, or by "walking" along the seabed by propping itself up on its arm tips and heaving itself along. [4]

The sexes are separate in Antedon mediterranea and the gonads are located in the pinnules of the lower part of the arms. Spawning takes place annually, mainly in the spring and is believed to be triggered by the production of testosterone in the male and 17β-estradiol in the female. [5] Fertilisation takes place in the water and the embryos are cemented to the pinnules. They hatch into free-swimming, barrel-shaped doliolaria larvae which can move around using synchronized movements of their bands of cilia. The production of serotonin stimulates them to settle on the seabed, anchor themselves by temporary stalks, and undergo metamorphosis into juveniles. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crinoid</span> Class of echinoderms

Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea. Crinoids that are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk in their juvenile form are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms, called feather stars or comatulids, are members of the largest crinoid order, Comatulida. Crinoids are echinoderms in the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes the starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. They live in both shallow water and in depths as great as 9,000 meters (30,000 ft).

<i>Antedon</i> Genus of crinoids

Antedon is a genus of sessile, stemless crinoids. The genus first appeared in the fossil record in the Cretaceous period.

<i>Antedon bifida</i> Species of crinoid

Antedon bifida is a species of crinoid in the family Antedonidae commonly known as the rosy feather star. It is found in north west Europe.

<i>Antedon petasus</i> Species of crinoid

Antedon petasus is a marine invertebrate, a species of crinoid or feather star in the family Antedonidae. It is found around the coasts of north west Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comatulida</span> Order of crinoids

Comatulida is an order of crinoids. Members of this order are known as feather stars and mostly do not have a stalk as adults. The oral surface with the mouth is facing upwards and is surrounded by five, often divided rays with feathery pinnules. Comatulids live on the seabed and on reefs in tropical and temperate waters.

<i>Davidaster rubiginosus</i> Species of crinoid

Davidaster rubiginosus or the orange sea lily is a species of crinoid in the family Comatulidae. At one time it was classified as Nemaster rubiginosa but the World Register of Marine Species has determined that the valid name is Davidaster rubiginosus. It is found on reefs in the tropical western Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea.

Davidaster discoideus or the beaded crinoid is a species of feather star in the family Comatulidae. It was previously known as Nemaster discoidea but the World Register of Marine Species has determined that the valid name is Davidaster discoideus. It is found on reefs in the Caribbean Sea and northern coast of South America.

<i>Comaster schlegelii</i> Species of crinoid

Comaster schlegelii, the variable bushy feather star, is a crinoid in the family Comatulidae. It was previously classified as Comanthina schlegeli but further research showed that it was better placed in the genus Comaster. It is found on shallow water reefs in the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Metacrinus rotundus</i> Species of crinoid

Metacrinus rotundus, the Japanese sea lily, is a marine invertebrate, a species of stalked crinoid in the family Isselicrinidae. It is a species found off the west coast of Japan, and is living near the edge of the continental shelf, around 100–150m deep. This is the shallowest species among the extant stalked crinoids.

<i>Oxycomanthus bennetti</i> Species of echinoderm

Oxycomanthus bennetti, the Bennett's feather star, is a species of crinoid belonging to the family Comatulidae. It is found in shallow water in the Indo-Pacific between northern Australia and southeast Asia.

<i>Agaricocrinus americanus</i> Species of echinoderm

Agaricocrinus americanus, the mushroom crinoid, is a species of extinct crinoid, known only from its fossils, which are found in the U.S. states of Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. They date back to the Lower Mississippian, about 345 million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bourgueticrinida</span> Extinct order of crinoids

Bourgueticrinida is an order of crinoids that typically live deep in the ocean. Members of this order are attached to the seabed by a slender stalk and are known as sea lilies. While other groups of crinoids flourished during the Permian, bourgueticrinids along with other extant orders did not appear until the Triassic, following a mass extinction event in which nearly all crinoids died out.

<i>Cenocrinus</i> Genus of crinoids

Cenocrinus is a monotypic genus of stalked crinoids in the family Isselicrinidae. The great West Indian sea lily is the only species in the genus and is found in deep waters in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Ptilometra australis</i> Species of crinoid

Ptilometra australis, the passion flower feather star, is a species of crinoid. It is native to the coasts of southeastern Australia where it is found on reefs, in estuaries and bays at depths down to about 110 metres (360 ft).

<i>Leptometra celtica</i> Species of crinoid

Leptometra celtica is a marine invertebrate and species of crinoid or feather star of the Leptometra genus in the family Antedonidae. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean around the coasts of north west Europe. The presence of L. celtica and L. phalangium is considered to be a good indication of nearby shelf breaks, general bottom currents, and areas of high gross productivity as they are suspension-feeders, hence their proliferation in productive environments.

<i>Florometra serratissima</i> Species of crinoid

Florometra serratissima is a species of crinoid or feather star in the family Antedonidae. It is found off the Pacific coast of North America, usually in deep water.

<i>Promachocrinus kerguelensis</i> Species of crinoids

Promachocrinus kerguelensis is a species of free-swimming, stemless crinoids. It was the only member of its genus until several species were discovered in 2023. P. keruguelensis a coldwater crinoid which is found in the seas around Antarctica and surrounding island groups, including under the sea ice.

<i>Aporometra wilsoni</i> Species of crinoid

Aporometra wilsoni is a marine invertebrate, a species of crinoid or feather star in the family Aporometridae. It is found in shallow water around the coasts of southern Australia.

<i>Notocrinus virilis</i> Species of crinoid

Notocrinus virilis is a marine invertebrate, a species of crinoid or feather star in the family Notocrinidae. It is found in deep water in the Southern Ocean around the coasts of Antarctica and adjacent islands. A sea snail sometimes parasitizes it.

<i>Cenometra bella</i> Species of crinoid

Cenometra bella is a species of crinoids belonging to the genus Cenometra. They can have up to 30 arms and can be of variable colours but are often characterised by a marked contrast between the extending free-arms and the feathery pinnules. This species clings to its support and moves around by its feet-like cirri.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Messing, Charles (2012). "Antedon mediterranea (Lamarck, 1816)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  2. 1 2 Anne Bay-Nouailhat (2005). "Antedon mediterranea: Mediterranean feather-star". European Marine Life. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  3. 1 2 Frédéric, André; Véronique, Lamare; Vincent, Maran; Michel, Péan (2011-03-10). "Antedon mediterranea (Lamarck, 1816)" (in French). DORIS. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  4. Ruppert, Edward E.; Fox, Richard, S.; Barnes, Robert D. (2004). Invertebrate Zoology, 7th edition. Cengage Learning. pp. 918–919. ISBN   81-315-0104-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Barbaglio, Alice; Biressi, Anne; Melone, Giulio; Bonasoro, Francesco; Lavado, Ramón; Porte, Cinta; Carnevali, M. Daniela Candia (2009). "Reproductive cycle of Antedon mediterranea (Crinoidea, Echinodermata): correlation between morphology and physiology". Zoomorphology. 128 (2): 119–134. doi:10.1007/s00435-008-0079-z. S2CID   24306094.
  6. Barbaglio, Alice; Turchi, Claudia; Melone, Giulio; Benedetto, Cristiano D.; Martinello, Tiziana; Patruno, Marco; Biggiogero, Maira; Wilkie, Iain C.; Carnevali, M. Daniela Candia (2012). "Larval development in the feather star Antedon mediterranea". Invertebrate Reproduction & Development. 56 (2): 124–137. doi:10.1080/07924259.2011.578154. S2CID   84516758.