ORDER
Comatulida
FAMILY
Colobometridae
TAXONOMY
Oligometra serripinna Carpenter, 1881, Andai, New Guinea.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Feather star with 10 arms, 0.4–1.8 in (10–45 mm) long. Proximal pinnule segments longer than they are broad; yellow to orange.
DISTRIBUTION
Western Indian Ocean to the South Pacific, through the Great Barrier Reef. From at least 20–80 ft (6–25 m) in depth. (Specific distribution map not available.)
HABITAT
Usually fully exposed on unsheltered perches and attached on hard substratum.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds through the radial filtration fan posture.
BEHAVIOR
No diel pattern.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Probably reproduces twice a year, around February and June. Spawns freely on sea water and develops through lecititrophic larvae. By the spawning time, a large range of gamete sizes exists, but presumably only the larger gametes are released by repeated trickle spawning.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Nothing known.
