Fact Friday

crinoid

Even though they are termed “lilies of the sea,” crinoids are not plants. They are actually ancient marine animals. Some crinoid fossils have been estimated to be over hundreds of millions of years older than the dinosaurs! These ancient animals are a part of the phylum Echinodermata and are closely related to sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.

Photo Credit: Anderson Mayfield

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This page has educational materials that do not currently fit into our Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum. Here you will find additional lessons and videos we have developed.  For more videos, check out our YouTube channel.