Food and Feeding Mechanisms: Asteroidea

This chapter is concerned only with the food and feeding mechanisms of asteroids. Organically rich sediment grains and then-associated micro- and meiofauna appear to be an important food resource for deep-sea asteroids. Food specialization is only linked to prey availability as some species exhibit a real food preference. Goniopectinids and porcellanasteridsiwould be able to supply additional food through their conspicuous cribriform organs. Whatever the food capture method may be, the goal of the asteroid is always to apply its stomach in close contact with the food. Taken as a whole, the class Asteroidea is able to use each main type of marine food resources. The transition from intraoral feeding to extraoral feeding is certainly one of the most important evolutionary steps of Asteroidea. As far as recent species are concerned, it appears that the most primitive Asteroidea feed essentially by swallowing their food and that ciliary feeding is of very minor importance in the alimentary process.