Colours

Distinguishing features

Comatulids are distinguised from all other featherstar families by having terminal segments of the oral pinnules modified to form a comb. Comatulids a also have a distinctive "feel" due to well developed hooks on most pinnules that cause them to cling like velcro.

Comanthus wahlbergii has up to 25 rather chunky arms, often longer on one side of the animal than the other, and a good ring of cirri.

Colour varies widely, both at Lizard Island and across its wide Indo-west Pacific distribution. At Lizard Island, the brachials are usually a solid colour including white, bright yellow, yellow/green, brown and a deep dusty blue, but occasionally a darker midline is present on the underside of the arms and the brachials may be covered with irridescent spots. Pinnules are often conspicuously different in colour to the brachials.

Size

Depth range

Synonyms

Distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Comanthus wahlbergii is often completely concealed during the day, living within reef cavities or under large slabs of rubble, although several arms may be exposed. Arms are extended into the water column at night (Vail, 1987a) but the central body remains concealed.

This species is found throughout the Lizard Island Group but it is not often noticed because of its cryptic habitat.

Behaviour

A single female of this species was observed spawning in the Lizard Island lagoon at about 9.15 pm on 18 Nov 2016. Eggs emerged slowly from the genital pinnules in mucus strings (in contrast to the sudden burst of spawn observed once for Anneissia bennetti). Non-spawning specimens of Comanthus wahlbergii were also seen on the same dive.

Web resources

References