Echinoderms.

This is not very numerous group in the White sea. There are no feather stars, only one species of sea urchins, several species of sea stars, brittle stars and only three species of sea cucumbers.

We caught only two species of sea cucumbers (Holothurioidea):

This is a bad photo of the oral end of Chiridota laevis.

It lives in the silt, has no tube feed and can reach 20 cm in length.

Thyonidium pellucidum is an another species we caught. This one has already normal tube feet. It has also very beautiful tree-like tentacles (they are hidden).

Typical White sea echinoderms are sea stars.

Asterias rubens. The main species of sea stars in the sea.

On the second photo it eats a mussel.

Another species:

Henricia sp. there are several species and I can't distinguish them. It feeds only on sponges.

Brittle stars (Ophiuroidae) are similar to sea stars but they are different creatures:

A small species Ophiura robusta. This is a rather movable creature that moves by its snake-like arms (not by tube feet!). Ophiura feeds on seston - the suspended water stuff. In places with strong current they can gather themselves in a big number.

Another species of brittle stars:

Ophiopholis aculeata. It is bigger and more colourful brittle star.

Usually it hides somewhere under stones, you can see only its arms.

Stegophiura nodosa. This is a deep water species that lives only deeper than 20 meter. This species is small (less than 4 cm in arm-spread), always pink coloured and we know nothing about its life...

go to the main page