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Animal profile

Sea Lily

CrinoideaDeep continental slopes and seamounts, generally below a few hundred metres

Field profile

Stalked crinoids that anchor to the seabed on a jointed column and hold a crown of feeding arms into the current. Living species are almost entirely deep-water animals. They are the surviving remnant of a group that dominated shallow Palaeozoic seafloors.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2022-12-29

Sea Lily

Stalked sea lilies can crawl away from danger

For a long time they were assumed to be permanently rooted. Submersible video showed animals detaching part of the stalk and dragging themselves across the seabed with their arms, moving slowly but purposefully away from approaching sea urchins.

Read with evidence →

Sea Lily | Daily Animal Facts