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Phylum
The feather star belongs to the phylum Echinodermata. Echinoderms most often live in coral reefs, but they live at all depths, where the larvae swim, the juveniles are attached and the adults may or may not be attached. Originating in the Cambrian era, echinoderms use their tube feet to move, feed, excrete and reproduce. These bumpy bodies have pentaradial symmetry, meaning they have five identical protrusions around their bodies.
Subphylum and Class
Biologists classify the feather star as a member of the subphylum Crinozoa and the class Crinoidea. Members of the Crinoidea class include feather stars and sea lilies, which both have mouths on the upper side of their bodies and the adults have radial protrusions, as opposed to globular echinoderms, such as sand dollars. The crinoids' five main arms separate with hundreds of smaller limbs, which resemble ferns or feathers.
Order
The feather star falls into the order Comatulida, which consists of unstalked crinoids. This order only contains feather stars, as adult sea lilies remain attached to rocks and other surfaces throughout adulthood. Adult feather stars do not have suckers on the end of their arms, and they move very little and only when pressured. Scientists refer to them as suspension feeders, because the feather star uses its tube feet to capture food in the currents and funnel the food into its mouth.
Family and Species
Biologists further divide feather stars into 18 families, conprising more than 500 species. In shallow waters, the family Comasteridae contains the most species. In general, species of feather star vary greatly in size and color. Because feather stars are toxic and distasteful, most species have brightly colored arms, but some are dark or stark white. Scientists know little about the individual species of feather stars, because the creatures often prove too brittle or deep to capture.