The humble sea lily (Endoxocrinus parrae) is an ocean animal closely related to
the
starfish, sea cucumber and sea urchin. With a ring of feathery fingers
and a stalk 50 centimeters long, it resembles an ocean garden flower. And it
has a sophisticated method for avoiding danger as caught
in the video after the jump which shows a sea lily crawling slowly
across the ocean floor on its fingers, dragging its broken stem behind
it.
Other
footage and photographs captured suggest that the sea lily makes its
ocean floor dash to escape the attentions of sea urchins, which have
been seen lurking on the sea bed behind the traveling sea lilies – "It's the
lizard's tail strategy,"
Baumiller says. "The sea lily just leaves the stalk end behind. The sea
urchin is preoccupied going after that, and the sea lily crawls away."
