Sea Stars and Sea Spiders
Spiny Sun Star
Crossaster
papposusRose Star
Description
Radius 7" (18 cm). Many-armed.
Scarlet above, with concentric bands of white, pink, yellowish or
dark red; white underneath. Central disk large; with netlike pattern
of raised ridges; 8-14 arms, length 1/2 radius. Entire upper surface
sparsely covered with brushlike spines; marginal spines larger.
Mouth area bare. 2 rows of sucker-tipped tube feet in
grooves.
Habitat
On rock bottoms; from low-tide line to
water 1080’ (329 m) deep.
Range
Arctic to Gulf of Maine; Alaska to Puget
Sound.
Discussion
Among the most beautiful of
echinoderms, these sea stars seem to be sunbursts of color. They are
predatory on smaller sea stars, swallowing them
whole.
Sea Stars and Sea Spiders