The sailors on the coast of Singapore pulled out a strange creature that looks like a plant, but moves his limbs, like an animal.
The fishermen were very surprised to hump began to move her "branches" and even found himself on the deck. It turns out that is not the residue of coral or seaweed callous, it is - gorgonocephalus echinoderm class Ophiuroidea animal. Ophiuroidea similar to sea stars, only the rays of the thinner and more intense moves. The flesh of the body based on the disk (up to 14 cm in diameter), from which the country stretches agile rays. They are orange, red or white animals attaches to coral and other underwater objects.
The creature lives in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of up to 2 miles, but most of the time to spend 15 to 152 meters below sea level. In a similar depth of Singapore's sailors and pulled unseen creature.
Gorgonocephalus feed on a variety of small invertebrates. Their larvae develop polyps inside the parasites - they feed on the soft-tissue components. Fattened larvae move on their own kind of adult animals, sometimes even making them harm - blurring the top of the fabric.
Although gorgonocephalus are related to starfish, but they are more flexible and catching prey from limb shaped mesh "basket". The more detailed their eating habits are little known, but it was found that the animal's limbs covering needles, hooks and mucus acts as a shield preventing the victims from escaping the clutches of fatal Ophiuroidea.
"These animals, even his victim wrapped in several layers. Then isolated attracts prey to a central disk and eats it - explains the University of Oregon biology experts - the food is absorbed and digested in the drive - is not yet clear. "
How gorgonocephalus looks pulled to the land you can see in the video below:
