Nidorellia armata

 chocolate chip starfish | Chocolate Chip Star
Nidorellia armata
Nidorellia armata, juvenile, Galapagos, Ecuador, Photo: Graham Edgar
Nidorellia armata
Nidorellia armata, juvenile, Galapagos, Ecuador, Photo: Graham Edgar
Nidorellia armata
Nidorellia armata, Gulf of California, Mexico, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
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Nidorellia armata
Nidorellia armata
Nidorellia armata

Distribution

Tropical Eastern Pacific


Description

Tan body with a symmetrical pattern of black spikes. Adults with high bodies and five stubby arms, juveniles flat with shorter spikes.


Information

Max Size: 23 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 20.1-27.6°C

Depth: 0-183m

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: Frequent (18.3% 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: Several (7 per transect)

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


Edit by: Joe Shields