Don't read yet I'm fixing things up O_O

Crinoids are animals in the class Crinoidea. They are in the phylum Enchinodermata, making them the relatives of sea stars, brittle stars, and sea urchins! While the average person is oftentimes only able to recall these animals as extinct fossils, crinoids are still alive and (metaphorically) kicking today! While a majority of species had went extinct around the tail end of the Permian period, the few lineages that survived eventually made way for the 700 different species we know to exist today.

Crinoids can all be characterized by their long, feathery arms extending from a center which holds the mouth. To some this body shaped gives them a flower-like shape, hence why some species are known as sea lillies. Crionoids are filter feeders and will use these cirri to grasp onto rocks or sand while their feather-like arms extend out into the water to catch ocean debris and microbial life. Sticky mucus on their arms helps them catch food floating by to be wadded up by tubed feet on their arms. Food is then slowly transferred further down along feeding grooves until it reaches the mouth at the center.

These species can in turn be divided into two variants: stemmed and stemmless crinoids. As the name suggests, stemmed crinoids have a long stalk that comprises of their lower body. On the bottom of their stalk are root-like appendages called cirri which help them grasp onto surfaces. Occasionally these cirri will also line further up the stem. Stemless crinoids will instead have these cirri on the bottom of their "flowers".