Neocrinus decorus
Neocrinus decorus is a species of stalked crinoid, or sea lily, in the family Balanocrinidae, being a member of the Sole [living genus|sole living genus] of its subfamily.Distribution
The species lives on hard substrates at depths of, throughout the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. It has been found off the coast of Venezuela, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and the Lesser Antilles.Biology
Neocrinus decorus are epibenthic and may form aggregations in certain locales. Like other crinoids, they are suspension feeders, filtering out organic material and plankton that the Subsurface [ocean current|current] brings to their outstretched arms. This species has been observed to crawl across the sea floor using its arms, "elbow-crawling" at speeds of about. This locomotion is theorized to allow the sea lily to move to a location with more appropriate currents, or to evade slower predators such as cidaroid sea urchins.