Abstract:
Specimens of feather stars (Crinoidea, Phylum Echinodermata) from the North Andaman Sea, collected from Ranong, Phangnga and Phuket provinces from April 2003 to June 2005 were used in this study. In addition to these, specimens from various museums in Thailand were also used for this purpose. These specimens (totally 80 in number) were then classified to apecies and generic levels. There were 21 species of 13 genera and 4 families. There were 5 species of 3 genera in Family Colobometridae, i.e.; Cenometra bella, C. cornuta, C. herdmani; Colobometra perspinosa and Pontiometra andersoni. Family Comasteridae consisted of 13 species and 7 genera, i.e.; Capillaster multiradiatus; Clarkcomanthus albinotus, C. littoralis; Comanthina nobilis, C. schlegelii; Conamthus mirabilis, C.parvicirrus, C.walthbergii; Comatella maculata, C.nigra, C. stellrigera; Comaster multifidus and Oxycomanthus bennetti. Family Himerometridae consisted of only one genus and also one species, i.e.; Himerometra robustipinna. And the last Family : Mariameridae consisted of 2 genera and also 2 species, i.e.; Lamprometra palmata nd Oxymetra finschii. Seven out of these twenty one species were new rocords, i.e.; Cenometra cormuta, Clarkcomanthus albinotus, C.littoralis, Comanthus mirabilis, C.walhbergii and Pontiometra andersoni.The results of this study's observation showed that the feather stars inhabited in different habitats and had different types of color patterns.