The amazing running sea lilly
Fancy meeting sea lilly running past when out for a swim? Its a pretty creepy looking "plant".
A relative of the starfish, crinoids are neither abundant nor well understood. Also known as "sea lilies" or "feather stars" the strange creatures consist of a mouthpart, feeding arms and generally have a stem that connects them to the sea floor.
Scientists have long known that crinoids were capable of moving themselves, albeit at a very slow pace, to outmaneuver predators such as sea urchins.
Their fastest speed had been clocked at .6 meters per hour, which means their entire existence is probably a lot like one of those dreams where you are being chased by something but can only move in slow-motion.
However, researchers viewing the sea floor in a submersible off Grand Bahama recorded astonishing footage of a stemmed crinoid practically galloping along the ocean floor.
By netchicken:
posted on 8-5-2007 A relative of the starfish, crinoids are neither abundant nor well understood. Also known as "sea lilies" or "feather stars" the strange creatures consist of a mouthpart, feeding arms and generally have a stem that connects them to the sea floor.
Scientists have long known that crinoids were capable of moving themselves, albeit at a very slow pace, to outmaneuver predators such as sea urchins.
Their fastest speed had been clocked at .6 meters per hour, which means their entire existence is probably a lot like one of those dreams where you are being chased by something but can only move in slow-motion.
However, researchers viewing the sea floor in a submersible off Grand Bahama recorded astonishing footage of a stemmed crinoid practically galloping along the ocean floor.
