APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

Scroll down and rollover titles to change screen image or click on title to view image.

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- lateral view 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- central area 1

Specimen here was found on the side of a pontoon at Newlyn Marina, Newlyn, Cornwall. 12.09.15.

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- attached to algae 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- attached to algae 2

Images above of Antedon bifida, the Rosy feather-star at Porthcressa, Isles of Scilly. 49° 54′41.898″N 6° 18′ 45.582″W. 30.04.14. Specimens were found to have numerous Myzostoma cirriferum, a parasite of Antedon bifida. Page for Myzostoma cirriferum.

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- under lowershore rock 1

Image above of specimen found under a rock on the lowershore, on a spit north of Smeaton's Pier, St. Ives, Cornwall. 26.09.14.

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- dorsal view 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- dorsal view 2

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- side view with claw-like cirri 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- side view with claw-like cirri 2

A cyst of the parasitic polychaete worm Myzostoma cirriferum can be seen near the centre of the image. A small gastropod mollusc parasite called Curveulima dautzenbergi can also be found on Antedon bifida.

Images of species taken during the Marine Biological Association's Bioblitz Event 2011 at Barn Pool, Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Cremyll, Cornwall. 30.09.11.

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- late cystidean stage larva under microscope 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- calyx plates late cystidean stage under microscope 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- late cystidean stage larvae under microscope 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- late cystidean stage larvae on Botrylloides diegensis 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- late cystidean stage larvae on Botrylloides diegensis 2

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- late cystidean stage larvae on Botrylloides diegensis 3

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- adults underwater 1

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- adults underwater 2

Rosy feather-star
Antedon bifida
- adults underwater 3

This species was found to be superabundant on pontoons at Torquay Marina, Torquay, Devon, 11.07.18. Late cystidean stage larvae were common place among the invasive non-native colonial sea squirt Botrylloides diegensis as seen in the images above.

Scientific and European Names:
Antedon bifida, Rosy feather-star. Synonyms: Alecto europaea, Antedon gorgonia, Antedon maroccana, Asterias bifida and Comatula rosacea.

The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help

people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.