Distinguishing features
Comasterids are distinguised from all other featherstar families by having terminal segments of the oral pinnules modified to form a comb. Comasterids a also have a distinctive "feel" due to well developed hooks on most pinnules that cause them to cling like velcro. All Oxycomanthus species have oral pinnules that end in a sharp point but this character is not useful in the field.
Oxycomanthus perplexum has up to 52 arms and up to 23 cirri.
Size
- Size data has not been obtained.
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
The species is endemic to the east Australian coast between Lizard Island and the Solitary Islands in NSW. At Lizard Island, It is known from a single specimen. Oxycomanthus perplexum appears to be restricted to non-reef habitats but it was not found in Messing et al.'s (2006) survey of soft-bottom crinoids.
Web resources
References
- Rowe, F.W.E., A.K. Hoggett, R.A. Birtles and L.L. Vail (1986). Revision of some comasterid general from Australia (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), with descriptions of two new genera and nine new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 86: 197-277. LIRS catalog number 198.