A beautiful basket star (Gorgonocephalus sp.) perched on a sponge. Basket stars are echinoderms and belong to the same group as the brittle stars. The names “Gorgos” and “-cephalus” refer to Gorgon’s head from the Greek myth, who has coiled serpents for hair. As seen in the video, the basket star is composed of a set of very intricate arms, and when open, they are shaped like a basket. Many times you see them closed and coiled up on branching organisms like octocorals. However, this basket star has its arms open—a real treat! This could mean that it is suspension feeding on small crustaceans and other plankton in the water. The arms of basket stars are covered with spines and hooks which allow them to collect small critters.

Text contributed by Stacey M. Williams, Institute for Socio-Ecological Research, Coastal Survey Solutions LLC.