crinoids text index | photo index
Phylum Echinodermata > Class Crinoidea > Order Ophiuroidea
Basket star
Awaiting identification
Family Euryalidae
updated Apr 2020
Where seen? This intricate lace-like animals is sometimes seen in the intertidal zone on some of our shores. Small ones seen clinging to seagrasses, larger ones among coral rubble or wrapped around sea fans.

Features: About 10cm in diameter with arms. Each arm branched into coiling 'tendrils' that are highly flexible. These eventually form a complex basket-like tangle that is used to filter feed in the water. Each 'tendril' may be tipped with a conical structure. Mouth on the underside. Some produced a great deal of slime when handled.

Sisters Island, Jan 12

Upper side.
 

Underside.

Conical structures at the end of tendrils.
Baskets at home: According to David Lane, juveniles are often found on sea fans, while adults are typically found under large corals and crevices during the day, but at night climb up to an elevated point to unfurl their arms into the current.

Status and threats: Euryale aspersa is the only species of basket star is so far listed for Singapore. It is listed as "DD: EN? Data deficient, possibly Endangered" in the Red List of threatened animals.

On a sea fan growing on a jetty leg.

Beting Bronok, Jul 13.

On a Flowery soft coral.

Beting Bronok, Jul 13.

On seagrass.

Pulau Hantu, Nov 09
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog.

Basket stars on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Changi CP7, Jan 21

Photo shared by Vincent Choo on facebook.

Changi, Jul 21
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Beting Bronok, Jun 10

Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her blog.

Beting Bronok, Jul 14

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Beting Bronok, Jun 17

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Beting Bronok, Jun 18

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Terumbu Berkas, Jan 10
Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her flickr.

Pulau Hantu, Nov 09
The underside.

Filmed on Beting Bronok Jun 10

Basket star (Family Euryalidae) from Loh Kok Sheng on Vimeo.


Links

References

  • Ron K. H. Yeo & Loh Kok Sheng. 3 October 2014. Basket star in the eastern Johor Straits, Euryale aspera. Singapore Biodiversity Records 2014: 265.
  • Lane, David J.W. and Didier Vandenspiegel. 2003. A Guide to Sea Stars and Other Echinoderms of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre. 187pp.
  • Coleman, Neville. 2007. Sea stars: Echinoderms of Asia/Indo-Pacific. Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic Pty Ltd, Australia.136pp.
  • Davison, G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore). 285 pp.
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