Look Alikes
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
How to Distinguish from Similar Species: Other sun stars have a central disk about 1/3 the total diameter and no prominent dark streaks on the aboral surface. The other most common sun star, S. dawsoni, has an orange, brown, tan, or mottled aboral surface.
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Comprehensive Description
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Biology/Natural History: Feeds on small sea cucumbers, including Eupentacta quinquesemita, E. pseudoquinquesemita, Cucumaria miniata, C. curata, and Psolus chitonoides. May also eat tunicates such as Pyura haustor, brachiopods, and sea pens. Another common sun star, Solaster dawsoni, is an important predator of this species. May have a commensal polychaete scaleworm Arctonoe pulchra or Arctonie vittata in the ambulacral groove. A parasitic barnacle Dendrogaster sp may be inside the tissues. Eggs are 0.9 to 1 mm diameter, yellow. Juveniles often hide among tubedwelling polychaete Phyllochaetopterus prolifica.
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Habitat
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Mostly rocky subtidal; occasionally on floats and pilings.
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Habitat
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Depth Range: Extreme low intertidal to 610 m
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Comprehensive Description
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
This large mostly subtidal seastar has 9-12 rays and no pedicellariae. The paxillae on the aboral surface are crowded together giving a rather smooth grainy texture. The disk is about 1/4 the total diameter. Aboral surface usually red, pink, or orange with a gray or blue streak down the center of each ray from a patch from the central disk. Up to 50 cm diameter
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Distribution
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Geographical Range: Bering Sea to Salt Point, Sonoma County, CA; Japan
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Solaster stimpsoni
provided by wikipedia EN
Solaster stimpsoni, common names Stimpson's sun star, sun star, orange sun star, striped sunstar, and sun sea star, is a species of starfish in the family Solasteridae.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Description
Solaster stimpsoni is a large species, growing up to 50 cm in diameter. It can have 8 to 12 arms, but usually has 10.[2] The aboral surface has a distinctive reddish orange colour and is covered with thick paxillae. The arms are long, slender, and tapering, each with a dark, purplish-grey contrasting stripe, running from the centre of the body to the tip.[5] They contain no pedicellariae. The underside of the arms have two rows of tube feet.
Distribution
This species is found in the seas of Japan, and along the western coast of the United States, from central California, to as far north as Alaska.[4]
Habitat
Solaster stimpsoni usually lives on rocky surfaces in the subtidal, and occasionally the low inter-tidal zones, at depths from 0 to 610 meters.
Diet
This starfish feeds on various small sea cucumbers, such as Cucumaria miniata, Cucumaria curata, Eupentacta quinquesemita, Eupentacta pseudoquinquesemita, and Psolus chitonoides. It also eats brachiopods, ascidians, or sea pens.
Predators
Solaster stimpsoni is eaten by a close relative, Solaster dawsoni, the morning sunstar.[3]
References
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Solaster stimpsoni: Brief Summary
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Solaster stimpsoni, common names Stimpson's sun star, sun star, orange sun star, striped sunstar, and sun sea star, is a species of starfish in the family Solasteridae.
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