Basket stars are a group of sea stars, also known as brittle stars.
Credit: Google Images
They are marine invertebrates, meaning they are animals without backbones.
Credit: Google Images
They are characterized by a hard, spiny covering or skin.
Credit: Google Images
Basket stars are unique because each of their arms is highly branched. They can grow up to 3 ft long and typically inhabit the deep sea.
Credit: Google Images
Their arms can reach a length of 28 inches (70 centimeters) and the body can be as large as 6 inches (14 centimeters) across.
Credit: Google Images
Basket stars perch atop a coral or a rocky outcropping, stretching out their arms to trap zooplankton and other particles of food drifting in the waters overhead.
Credit: Google Images
A basket star's repeatedly branching arms bear microscopic hooks and secrete sticky mucus to help grab planktonic prey.
Credit: Google Images