Feather Star

The Feather Star is a free-moving crinoid that actively crawls and swims to find the best current position in your tank, and its multi-armed, fern-like silhouette makes it one of the most otherworldly animals in the reef hobby.

Position it on high rockwork in strong, chaotic flow and pair it only with peaceful fish and invertebrates that won't nip or harass its delicate feeding arms.

The central challenge is nutrition: feather stars need a near-constant supply of fine suspended organics and plankton, and they will slowly waste in tanks without regular targeted feeding.

Broadcast phytoplankton and copepod-sized zooplankton daily, ideally with pumps briefly reduced so food remains suspended near the animal's extended arms.