© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The elusive basket star in cold to warm waters spanning both the northern and southern hemispheres is an enigmatic creature, with its five-pointed body and characteristic intricate branching arms, found at depths of no more than a few hundred feet.
In a video shared by @gunsandrosesgirl3 on X, formerly Twitter, this remarkable species is shown to exhibit a preference for rocky sea floors with strong currents, creating an ideal environment for its unique feeding behaviour.
Unlike typical sea stars, each arm of the basket star may have two main branches, with numerous smaller ones extending from each larger branch, adorned with small barbs on the ends. In total, an arm may span up to a couple of feet in length.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the basket star’s behaviour is its feeding mechanism. The creature anchors itself to the sea floor and extends its arms into the current, forming a wide basket.
What adds to the mystery of the basket star is its defensive adaptation. In the face of potential danger, the basket star can transform from predator to prey by wrapping its arms around its body, forming a tight ball.
X users flooded the comments with one person writing, “That is both beautiful and horrifying simultaneously. I can’t stop looking,” while a second user mentioned, “Nature will never seize to amaze you…”
A third user wrote in horror, “Can you just imagine the feeling of that thing crawling on and in your skin?,” whie a fourth mentioned, “biblical and nightmarish, i hate it!”
