Crinoids or featherstars are filter feeders. Like some other echinoderms, they can form symbiotic relationships, for example with crinoid clingfish, Discotrema crinophilum.
These fish have long tapered bodies and small fins, making them unobtrusive when stationary inside a crinoid.
They inhabit the featherstar singly or in pairs, living on the oral disc or amid the arms, where they feed upon small crustaceans, worms, and possibly plankton that lodge in the crinoid’s body.
They may also serve to remove parasites from their host.
The Gili Islands, located just off Lombok’s west coast, are a popular tourist destination.
The reefs around the islands have some reasonable hard corals and marine life, but have suffered in the past from damage, bleaching events, and pollution. However, they are still worth visiting and are especially good for student divers.
Matthew Oldfield is a freelance photographer based in Bali, Indonesia, specializing in editorial and documentary images from both above and below the waves. He works primarily with charities, NGO’s, and other organizations working to conserve the environment, endangered species, and disappearing cultures.
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