(Culcita schmideliana)
Cushion stars look a lot like sea urchins without spines, but they belong to the starfish (or sea stars). Sometimes you find them wedged into some crevices and realise, they can change from a roundish shape to one more resembling a starfish. On their back they sometimes carry small shrimps of the Periclimenes-species, perfectly camouflaged both in shape and color.
AboveRounded Sea Star Shrimp (Zenopontonia noverca) and Starfish Shrimp (Periclimenes soror) below
On some Sea stars there are also Comb Jellies (a jellyfish), here seen as small red leaflike patches. Long threads gather plankton. They resemble the flatworms but are in no way related!
Lembeh, Komodo, Indonesia 2004, 2005, 2006
Sea and Sea Motomarine II EX / Nikon Coolpix 5000 in sealux housing and subtronic flash
. Copyright Teresa Zubi