Bird's legs - Bird's legs

A marine animal belonging to the family Ophiopogonidae, class Crinoids, phylum Echinodermata. Of the stemmed crinoids, which are considered "living fossils," this is the most common species found in the waters off Japan. Its name comes from its appearance, which resembles an upside-down chicken leg. It is 40-50 centimeters long. It has about 50 arms that open like a flower at the top, and below that is a long stem with whorls of curled branches. The bottom end was torn off during collection and is unknown, but it is highly likely that it never had a root and the curled branches are entangled with something else. It is pale brown, reddish, or yellowish in color, and often has light and dark stripes. It is found on the seafloor at depths of 100-500 meters from central Honshu to the East China Sea.

[Michio Shigei]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

棘皮(きょくひ)動物門ウミユリ綱ゴカクウミユリ科に属する海産動物。「生きた化石」とされる有茎ウミユリ類のうち、日本近海でもっとも普通にみられる種。名称はニワトリの足を逆さにしたような外観にちなむ。体長40～50センチメートル。上部に花のように開いた50本ぐらいの腕があり、その下に巻き枝の輪生した長い茎がある。下端は採集時にちぎれてしまい不明とされるが、もともと根部がなく、巻き枝で他物に絡まっている可能性が強い。淡い褐色、紅色、または黄色みを帯び、濃淡の縞(しま)のあるものが多い。本州中部から東シナ海に至る水深100～500メートルの海底に産する。

［重井陸夫］

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