Feathers on the Reef

I don’t normally support the capture and sale of creatures that don’t survive and thrive in captivity. That’s true of the reef, as well as everywhere else. Whenever possible, I purchase captive-bred specimens to minimize the impact on wild reefs, and I avoid bringing home any creature that won’t mix well with the existing ecosystem in my little reef. For that reason, I’ve mostly avoided feather stars–a filter-feeding crinoid from the family that also includes sea lilies. Crinoids have extremely specific, limited diets and typically starve to death in captivity. They’re beautiful, but delicate and hard to keep alive. Feather stars use

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