species: Cenometra bella in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Cenometra bella


©Lyle Vail and Anne Hoggett: Cenometra bella is almost always found perched on sea whips

©Lyle Vail and Anne Hoggett: Cenometra bella on a sea whip

©Anne Hoggett: Cenometra bella in parabolic fan feeding posture at Pidgin Point, November 2008
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Crinoidea
Order Comatulida
Family Colobometridae
Genus Cenometra
Species Cenometra bella

Colours

                             

Distinguishing features

Exposed with arms in a circular array, usually clinging tightly with its ring of strong cirri to sea whips or other narrow objects. Up to about 40 arms. A wide range of colour varieties. Most have pale brachials (white, grey, cream, pale green or orange/yellow) and darker pinnules (black, black and yellow, maroon with white, some with orange pinnule tips) although some individuals are completely silver/grey.

The second brachial pinnule is much larger than the first and third.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Depth range

  • Depth range data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Always found clinging to long narrow objects that enable it live well off the bottom, usually sea whips or black coral.

Found mainly on the exposed reef slopes between North Point and South Island, most commonly at North Point and Pidgin Point.

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Clark, A.M. and F.W.E. Rowe (1971). Monograph of shallow-water Indo-west Pacific echinoderms British Museum (Natural History), London.

Other references

  • Meyer, D.L. (1979). Length and spacing of the tube feet in crinoids (Echinodermata) and their role in suspension-feeding, Marine Biology, 51: 361-369. LIRS catalog number 29.
  • Meyer, D.L. (1985). Evolutionary implications of predation on recent comatulid crinoids from the Great Barrier Reef, Paleobiology, 11(2): 154-164. LIRS catalog number 167.
  • View all references