(No common name)

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.