DiscoverSpeciesOther invertebrates
Bottlebrush Feather Star
Comaster schlegelii
- Usual depth4–51 m
- Water temperature22–29 °C
- Best monthsFebruary, April, and September
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Frédéric Ducarme (IUCN mission), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
Comaster schlegelii, the variable bushy feather star, is a crinoid in the family Comatulidae. It was previously classified as Comanthina schlegeli but further research showed that it was better placed in the genus Comaster. It is found on shallow water reefs in the western Pacific Ocean.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Comaster schlegelii”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 26 records
- February: 63 records
- March: 38 records
- April: 45 records
- May: 45 records
- June: 19 records
- July: 29 records
- August: 37 records
- September: 53 records
- October: 44 records
- November: 31 records
- December: 38 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 4–51 m · Deepest record: 61 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 22–29 °C
Photos
(c) Wairambar Rainforest, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Dan Schofield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) John Hepburn, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) Thibaud Aronson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) harry beaman, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Bottlebrush Feather Star, Schlegel's Feather Star, Variable Bushy Feather Star
Names in 2 more languages
- French
- Comatule de Schlegel
- Japanese
- マキエダハナウミシダ
Other scientific names: Actinometra duplex, Actinometra regalis, Actinometra schlegelii, Comanthina schlegelii, Comanthus callipeplum
Similar species
Bennett's Bushy Feather StarAnneissia bennetti
- Common Crevice Feather Star
Comanthus parvicirrus
Extraordinary Feather StarClarkcomanthus mirabilis
Black Feather StarComatella nigra
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 376 open-data records from 1880 to 2018.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.