Sea lilies and feather stars, properly called crinoids (which means lily-like), are among some of the strangest of creatures that scientists encounter during the deep-sea expeditions. Although they appear plant-like in many respects, they are in fact animals, complete with a digestive system and a nervous system. These two crinoids were seen perched on the seafloor during the 2017 American Samoa Expedition: Suesuega o le Moana o Amerika Samoa.

Read more about these animals in this mission log, “Crinoids!”.