Page 310 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

308 ANIMAL LIFE

CLASS ASTEROIDEA bury itself in the sediment and delve
after its prey. Using its long tube feet it
Seven-arm Starfish can move very quickly over rocks and
gravel to latch onto its victims. This
Luidia ciliaris starfish is a voracious predator that
DIAMETER Up to 24 in feeds mainly on other echinoderms,
(60 cm) including burrowing sea urchins,
DEPTH 0–1,300 ft sea cucumbers, and brittlestars.
(0–400 m) It breeds during the summer in
HABITAT Sediment, southern Britain but much earlier,
gravel, rock between November and January,
DISTRIBUTION Temperate waters of northeastern in the Mediterranean.
Atlantic and Mediterranean multidirectional,
stiff white
While the majority of starfish spines on arm
species have five arms, this
large species has seven arms CLASS ASTEROIDEA and give it a rigid feel. These plates
and very occasionally eight. may be pale or dark and they form
Its body and arms have a Icon Star unique patterns on each individual,
velvety texture and are which enable researchers to recognize,
colored brick-red Iconaster longimanus track, and monitor individuals in the
to orange-brown. Each DIAMETER field. Data from such studies indicates
arm is fringed with Up to 5 in (12 cm) that icon stars grow very slowly and
a conspicuous DEPTH suggests that the largest individuals
band of 100–280 ft (30–85 m) may live as long as humans. Although
multidirectional, HABITAT icon stars usually live in deeper, dark
stiff white spines, Deep reefs and slopes waters, they are common at depths of
which help the DISTRIBUTION Tropical waters of Indian Ocean and 15–65 ft (5–20 m) around Singapore,
seven- arm starfish to western Pacific probably because the water there
is turbid and light levels are low.
velvety red or This strikingly patterned species has Females produce large orange eggs
orange skin long, thin arms and a flat disk. The that develop into tiny orange larvae;
arms and disk are edged by rows of the eggs contain chemicals that
skeletal plates that protect the starfish deter fish predators.
CLASS ASTEROIDEA
LIVE-IN GUESTS
Cushion Star CLASS ASTEROIDEA portion of its disk is marked with a
The surface of the cushion star dark red patch, and conspicuous red
provides a home for a tiny shrimp, Goosefoot Starfish
Culcita novaeguineae lines radiate outward from this patch,
DIAMETER the sea-star shrimp Periclimenes along its arms. Its underside is colored
Up to 12 in (30 cm) soror. The shrimp does no harm to Anseropoda placenta yellow. This starfish glides slowly over
DEPTH its host and is also found on other DIAMETER the sea bed searching for small
0–100 ft (0–30 m) starfish. It often hides beneath the Up to 8 in (20 cm) crustaceans, mollusks, and other
HABITAT starfish and also matches its color DEPTH echinoderms to eat.
Coral reefs to that of its host. 30–1,600 ft (10–500 m)
DISTRIBUTION Adaman Sea and tropical waters of HABITAT
western Pacific Gravel, sand, mud
DISTRIBUTION Temperate and warm waters of
The cushion star looks more like a northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
spineless sea urchin than a starfish; it
gets its name from its plump, rounded The goosefoot starfish gets its name
body. Its arms are so short that they from the appearance of the flattened,
merge with its body and only their weblike disk that joins each of its five
tips can be seen. Juveniles are much short arms together and produces an
flatter than adults and have a clear almost pentagonal shape. The central
pentagonal star shape, with obvious
COMMENSAL SHRIMP
arms. They hide under rocks to escape The sea-star shrimp seen here is on the
predators, whereas the tougher adults underside of the cushion star but will venture CLASS ASTEROIDEA The incredibly bright colors of this
are relatively safe in the open. out onto the top to feed. starfish are a warning that it contains
Cushion stars occur in a wide Mosaic Sea Star toxic chemicals. It should not be
range of colors, from predominantly picked up as it can cause numbness.
red to green and brown. The Plectaster decanus A mosaic of raised yellow ridges covers
underside has five radiating DIAMETER its red upper surface and it has a soft
grooves that represent the Up to 6 in (16 cm) texture. The mosaic sea star feeds
arms and are filled with tube DEPTH mostly on sponges, and these may be
feet. If the starfish is turned 30–600 ft (10–180 m) the source of its toxins. When the
over, it can right itself HABITAT females spawn, the fertilized eggs
by stretching out the Rocky reefs are retained and brooded on
tube feet on one side, DISTRIBUTION Temperate waters of South Australia the underside of the body.
anchoring them to the
sea bed, and pulling. It
feeds mainly on detritus
OCEAN LIFE other similar species are
and fixed invertebrates,
including live coral. Two
found in the Indo-Pacific
tropics but this one is the most
common and widespread.

thick, soft
body