The aboral (upper) surface is covered by large overlapping scales and bears a scattering of spines, especially round the edges of the disc.

The aboral surface of the disc is a pale greenish-brown colour and the large, triangular radial shields, close to the origins of the arms, are contrastingly darker.

It raises the tips of its arms to detect food particles, rolls any nutritious items into a ball and moves them to the mouth, manipulating them by means of the tube feet.

Examination of the stomach contents showed the remains of bryozoans, foraminiferans and gastropod among the large quantities of detritus and grains of sand that this brittle star had ingested.

[5] After splitting, the brittle star may still be able to reproduce sexually but some fragments of the disc may have no gonads and thus be unable to spawn until regeneration is complete.

[7] In Hawaii, this brittle star is often to be found living in association with a sponge such as Lissodendoryx schmidti (previously Damiriana hawaiiana).