Giant Basket Star
Astrophyton muricatum
- Group: Other
- Typical depth: 2–500 m
- Max size: 7 cm
By day it knots itself into a tight ball, but at night this basket star unfurls a mass of repeatedly forked arms into a living net to strain plankton from the current. It perches on rock, sand and coral reefs from a couple of metres down to about 70.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Echinodermata › Ophiuroidea › Euryalida › Gorgonocephalidae › Astrophyton
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 243214.
FAQ
- How deep does the Giant Basket Star live?
- The Giant Basket Star (Astrophyton muricatum) is typically found at 2–500 m.
- How big does the Giant Basket Star get?
- The Giant Basket Star grows to about 7 cm.