Asterias amurensis

Asteriidae
Northern Pacific Seastar
  • Asterias amurensis, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Asterias amurensis, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
  • Asterias amurensis, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Asterias amurensis, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
  • Asterias amurensis, Japan, Photo: Graham Edgar
    Asterias amurensis, Japan, Photo: Graham Edgar
  • Asterias amurensis, Japan, Photo: Graham Edgar
    Asterias amurensis, Japan, Photo: Graham Edgar
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: Rocky Reef, Soft sediment
Rarity
  • IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
  • Occurrence: Infrequent (9% 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
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