Source: Nerdist
Author: Matthew Hart
Free-floating Crinoids, a.k.a. feather stars, are mesmerizing deep-sea creatures that dance in water like stars dance around a black hole: that is to say, gracefully. The smooth-moving feather stars ribbon their limbs through the ocean for motive force, and put on an entrancing show while doing so. The one in the clip immediately below, for example, may possess you with its bizarre fluidity.
The viral clip of the feather star has been going around Twitter recently, and was retweeted by user ARTntings. And while the origin of the clip is unclear, there’s still plenty of great footage of feather stars out there. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) posted one particularly enlightening clip of the creatures (below). And there are, apparently, a ton of different species, all with their own unique aesthetics.
Continue reading here.