Meridiastra occidens
Western six-armed star
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Can usually, but not always, be distinguished from the other six-armed stars by its dark colouration of browns and greens. The paired surface skin papulae extend about three-quarters of the way down each arm ridge before they become single, and it has fine spinelets along the margins.
Information
Max Size: 8 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 14.9-23.3°C
Depth: 0-14m
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 (3.5% 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: Several (6 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