A species of stalked crinoids belonging to the Isselicrinidae family is called Endoxocrinus parrae. It is the isocrinine species that inhabits the west Atlantic Ocean most frequently.
Description
E. parrae is a member of the Isocrinida order and has a heteromorphic stalk comprised of calcareous nodal columns. The majority of its body is made of porous ossicles, with little soft tissue connecting the calcareous skeleton. The majority of subspecies have stalks between 10.2 cm and 23.5 cm in length, however some can grow as long as 50.5 cm. The feeding arms (23–58) that branch off radially from the mouth and anus are linked to the stalks, which have an average diameter of 4-5 mm. While some E. parrae subspecies have arms with smooth dorsal surfaces, others have been discovered to have arms with serrated dorsal surfaces, and yet other subspecies have exhibited morphology that is halfway between the two features, not quite smooth but not entirely serrated. Crinoids can climb the stalk by attaching to the substrate with the help of cirri.
Distribution and habitat
Endoxocrinus parrae can be found in benthic habitats in the western Atlantic Ocean and Indo-West Pacific Ocean. It has been discovered as far south as Brazil and as far north as the Florida Strait. Tropical benthic areas are its natural habitat. Temperature has been found to cause E. parrae to grow more quickly in shallower depths, but it also slows down growth in places with weak water currents. As filter feeders, E. parrae need a strong current to get the nutrients and energy they need for development and survival. Large clusters of them are typically found in regions with high water flow, such as along ridges, rocks, and mounds. Observations of E. parrae crawling over the ocean floor from low flow regions to high flow regions have also been made.
Behavior
Endoxocrinus parrae are filter feeders that use their broad, branching limbs to scavenge food from the water column. Detritus has been found in the guts of E. parrae, which suggests that the majority of their diet consists of marine snow and other water-soluble particles. E. parrae will only eat small, organic particles when they are feeding, and they have been observed waving their arms when large, inorganic particles are caught. This motion of waving throws the debris out of the crinoid’s mouth, keeping it clean.
Along the ocean floor, pencil urchins like Calocidaris micans commonly prey on E. parrae. The C. mican stomachs that had congregated around E. parrae had several crinoid stems and soft tissue. As a result, Endoxocrinus parrae have been observed separating from one another and using their cirri to migrate over the ocean floor and away from the predator. Additionally, it’s thought that the crinoids give the pencil urchin a portion of their stem so that it can feed while the urchin has time to escape. E. parrae may crawl across the ocean floor at speeds of up to 140 metres per hour.
As Pet
Diet
Detritus has been found in the guts of E. parrae, which suggests that the majority of their diet consists of marine snow and other water-soluble particles.
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