Cenocrinus asterius lives on areas of the seabed with strong currents at depths of more than . This enables it to maximise the capture of food particles by the sticky
tube feet on its arms without them being fouled by the collection of its own faecal matter.
Cenocrinus asterius has been studied in a laboratory flow tank where it was found that, with the base of the stem detached, it could move itself along the substrate and climb objects. It took as long as twenty four hours to manoeuvre itself into its usual, near vertical posture and reattach itself. In its natural surroundings, it may be assisted in this process by the hydrodynamic lift provided by a strong current in elevating its fan of arms. In studies by cameras mounted on
submersibles, it has been found that sea lilies can drag themselves along the seabed by their arms. In the case of
Cenocrinus asterius, this may be in response to attack by the
sea urchin Calocidaris micans which has been shown to feed on live crinoids. Although the rate of movement was slow, it was sufficiently fast to outpace the echinoid.
Autotomy of the stalk may also take place in an effort to evade the
predator. The sexes are separate in
Cenocrinus asterius. Like other sea lilies, it produces
gametes in specialised areas of the pinnules and releases them into the sea. After fertilisation, the
eggs hatch into barrel-shaped doliolaria
larvae. These have several bands of cilia which enable them to swim. The larvae are
planktonic and after a few days settle on the seabed and undergo
metamorphosis into juvenile sea lilies. == References ==