feather star

American  

noun

1. a free-swimming crinoid.

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feather star British  

noun

1. any free-swimming crinoid echinoderm of the genus Antedon and related genera, living on muddy sea bottoms and having ten feathery arms radiating from a small central disc

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Etymology

Origin of feather star

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Among the echinoderms found at the excavation site, the feather stars — marine invertebrate crinoids with feathery arms — were the rarest.

From New York Times

Their free-floating cousins, the feather stars, were ambling by, looking to grab the same particles of food.

From BBC

Mr. Clarkson and the other researchers watched as the pilots directed the vehicle’s robotic arm to grab a modified household spatula from an internal compartment and gently wedge it under the feather star.

From New York Times

Credit: James Thomas James’s team also found new species of feather star from the Oxycomanthus genus and distinctive species of nudibranch.

From Scientific American

Among the echinoderms, notable for being covered with spines: starfish, feather stars, sea lilies, free–swimming crinoids, brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, etc., represented a complete collection of the individuals in this group.

From Project Gutenberg