SEA STARS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST STRIPED SUN STAR Solaster stimpsoni Verrill

Class Asteroidea

Order Velatida

Family Solasteridae

STRIPED SUN STAR

Solaster stimpsoni Verrill, 1880

Identification:

10 long, tapering arms (occasionally 11). Orange, yellow or reddish aboral surface, contrasted by a distinct blue stripe down the length of each arm meeting on the oral disc. Blue pigmentation along each side of the tube-foot groove. To 58 cm (23 in) across (a very large specimen from Howe Sound, BC).

Range:

Bering Sea to Oregon and Japan; intertidal to 201 m (659 ft).

A typical STRIPED SUN STAR. It is one of the most attractive PNW sea stars.

A close-up view of the oral side. Note the large, blunt mouth spines and the blue pigment on the spines alongside the tube-foot groove. Just to the left of the mouth is a RED COMMENSAL SCALEWORM Arctonoe pulchra.

A specimen in the Gulf Islands, BC.

A very colourful specimen at Race Rocks, BC.

A specimen in the San Juan Islands, WA, where they are very common.

A specimen at the Victoria Breakwater, at the entrance to Victoria Harbour.

Some specimens are entirely blue.

A close-up view of the aboral side. Note that the finger-like gills are fully expanded.

A STRIPED SUN STAR under attack by a MORNING SUN STAR. The STRIPED SUN STAR fights back by coiling its surprisingly flexible arms around the attacker in a kind of hammer-lock, while at the same time attempting to slide out from under the predator. This STRIPED SUN STAR escaped.

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Notes:

Eats primarily sea cucumbers, along with tunicates, lamp shells and sea pens. It is preyed upon by the MORNING SUN STAR.