A close look at a yellow stalked crinoid. All crinoids are suspension feeders, subsisting on the smorgasbord of small plankton and detritus that drift past their outstretched arms. Most crinoids array their arms in a bowl or dish shape with the arm tips flexed back into the current and the top of the stalk bent so that the central mouth, visible in this image, faces away from the current. In addition to yellow crinoids, we also saw red and white (both stalked and unstalked) crinoids during Dive 06 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition.
Yellow Stalked Crinoid
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).

A close look at a yellow stalked crinoid. All crinoids are suspension feeders, subsisting on the smorgasbord of small plankton and detritus that drift past their outstretched arms. Most crinoids array their arms in a bowl or dish shape with the arm tips flexed back into the current and the top of the stalk bent so that the central mouth, visible in this image, faces away from the current. In addition to yellow crinoids, we also saw red and white (both stalked and unstalked) crinoids during Dive 06 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition.

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