What Eats a Sea Lily?

Sea lilies are usually deep-ocean creatures that affix themselves to the ocean floor with a stalk that protrudes from their body. Feather stars are a close relative that resemble sea lilies but lack the stalk. Due to the hard bodies of sea lilies, they are not regularly hunted by many other sea inhabitants. Sea urchins are the only predator that has been recorded to regularly go after sea lilies.

  1. Sea Lilies

    • Sea lilies are also known by the name, stalked crinoids. These echinoderms are part of Crinoidea class of sea creatures. There are 80 different species of sea lilies within that family. Their exteriors are made of calcium carbonate plates, which make them quite hard. There is a thin skin over these plates. This bodily construction may be why sea lilies only have one major predator.

    Habitat

    • Sea lilies are found in very deep ocean waters in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They are most often found deeper than 200 meters. This is the ideal habitat for sea lilies to collect their food as it settles to the ocean floor. Their diet consists primarily of plankton and bits of decomposing plants and animals. This habitat is also where their main predator is found.

    Sea Urchins

    • Sea urchins are the biggest threat to these creatures. University of Michigan researchers suggest that sea lilies may have developed their bodies so they can creep along the ocean floor to get away from the sea urchins.

    Other Predators

    • Wet Web Media and Ocean Link suggest that crabs, lobsters, octopi, puffer fish and other random fish may pose a threat to the sea lily if they decide to take a curious bite. There isn't too much of a threat, though, as this doesn't seem to be a popular trend and the sea lily has been known to regrow broken appendages.