Promachocrinus fragarius
Promachocrinus fragarius, commonly known as the Antarctic strawberry feather star, is a species of stemless, free-swimming crinoid. It was one of several new species of Promachocrinus to be described in 2023. The discovery of the species gained significant media attention.
Description
The team which discovered the species said it was dubbed the 'Antarctic strawberry feather star' due to "the resemblance of its body to a strawberry". Its colour can range from "purple" to "dark-reddish", and it was described as having "ten rays" and "twenty arms".Distribution and habitat
P. fragarius is found in the waters of Antarctica at depths between and. The type locality is at the South Sandwich Islands.The dispersal of Promachocrinus larvae was heavily influenced by Antarctic currents.