Promachocrinus fragarius
Species of crinoids
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Promachocrinus fragarius, commonly known as the Antarctic strawberry feather star, is a species of stemless, free-swimming crinoid. It was one of several new species of Promachocrinus to be described in 2023.[1] The discovery of the species gained significant media attention.[2][3][4]
| Promachocrinus fragarius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Crinoidea |
| Order: | Comatulida |
| Family: | Antedonidae |
| Genus: | Promachocrinus |
| Species: | P. fragarius |
| Binomial name | |
| Promachocrinus fragarius McLaughlin, Wilson & Rouse, 2023 | |
Description
The team which discovered the species said it was dubbed the 'Antarctic strawberry feather star' due to "the resemblance of its body to a strawberry". Its colour can range from "purple" to "dark-reddish", and it was described as having "ten rays" and "twenty arms".[5]
Distribution and habitat
P. fragarius is found in the waters of Antarctica at depths between 65 m (213 ft) and 1,170 m (3,840 ft).[5] The type locality is at the South Sandwich Islands.[6]
The dispersal of Promachocrinus larvae was heavily influenced by Antarctic currents.[7]
