The Basket Star
The basket star is a fascinating echinoderm, a marine invertebrate related to starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. They are known for their branching arms that resemble a basket, hence their name.
These echinoderms can be quite large, with some species reaching up to 70 centimeters (28 inches) in arm length! Basket stars are filter feeders, using their intricate net of arms to capture tiny plankton and other organic matter drifting by in the currents.
They weigh up to 5 kilograms (11 lb). Like other echinoderms, basket stars lack blood and achieve gas exchange via their water vascular system.
The basket stars are the largest ophiuroids with Gorgonocephalus stimpsoni measuring up to 70 cm in arm length with a disk diameter of 14 cm.
Basket stars are found in all oceans of the world, but they are most common in deep sea habitats and cold waters.
Some species can, however, be seen at night in shallow tropical.
These resilient creatures can live up to 35 years in the wild.
