Asterias amurensis

Northern Pacific seastar
Asterias amurensis
Asterias amurensis, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Asterias amurensis
Asterias amurensis, Japan, Photo: Graham Edgar
Asterias amurensis
Asterias amurensis, Japan, Photo: Graham Edgar
Asterias amurensis
Asterias amurensis, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
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Asterias amurensis
Asterias amurensis
Asterias amurensis
Asterias amurensis

Distribution

Temperate Australasia, Temperate northern Pacific


Description

Can be confused only with Uniophora granifera, but differs from that species in having distinctly pointed arms and one row of spines (as opposed to two) along the ambulacral groove on the underside. Juvenile animals generally have blotches of purple on a yellowish background, but these tend to disappear as the animal matures


Information

Max Size: 46 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 0.1-26.6°C

Depth: 0-35m

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Infrequent (8.3% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Many (11 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney