Category: Seastars and relatives view all from this category

Description Radius 10" (25 cm). Heavy. Yellow, orange, brown, reddish, or purple. Central disk moderately large, with 5 stout, tapering arms; upper surface with many short, white spines in netlike or pentagonal pattern on central disk.

Habitat On wave-washed rocky shores; well above low-tide line, and sometimes below.

Range Alaska to Baja California.

Discussion This is the commonest large, intertidal sea star, and it occurs in great numbers on mussel beds on the exposed coast. Many animals on which it preys can detect this star at a distance and escape.