Honeycomb Sea Star
Pentaceraster alveolatus
Also known as: Asteroids, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Cookie Starfish, Chocolate Chip Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Starfish, Cushion Sea Star, Honeycomb Cushion Star, Starfish
- Asteroids
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Sea Star
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Starfish
- Chocolate Chip Sea Star
- Chocolate Chip Starfish
- Cushion Sea Star
- Honeycomb Cushion Star
- Starfish
Overview
Also known Asteroids, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Cookie Starfish, Chocolate Chip Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Starfish, Cushion Sea Star, Honeycomb Cushion Star, Starfish.
Found singly or in consellations, on rubble and sandy areas close to seagrass beds, over shallow, inter-tidal reef platforms and reefs. Varies in colour.
Sea Stars have remarkable regenerative powers, when attacked and damaged by predators they are able to grow new arms. They usually have five arms but have been found with 4 or 6 arms, this may be because more than one arm has been damaged at one time!
Sometimes small parasitic limpets can be found on the underside of arms which can deform the arms.
They possess a cleverly evolved arsenal of hydraulic tube feet connected to an elaborate water-vascular system that encircles the animal's mouth and extends via five radial canals down the centre of each arm.
Their mouth is underneath, but their prey is absorbed outside their mouths by forcing out their digestive organs from their stomach.
Sea Stars are carnivores and feed on almost any food including molluscs, worms, detritus and each other!
Some sea stars like the crown of thorns can be venomous.
How to identify
Habitat & where to find it
- Range · Indo-West Pacific
- Country only · 16
Found singly or in consellations, on rubble and sandy areas close to seagrass beds, over shallow, inter-tidal reef platforms and reefs.
Adult photos 16
Discussion 2
Deep dive
Taxonomy
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumEchinodermata
- classAsteroidea
- orderValvatida
- familyOreasteridae
- genusPentaceraster
- speciesPentaceraster alveolatus (Perrier, 1875)
SourcesWoRMSSeaLifeBase
More in the family
Sea Stars (Oreasteridae)

Chocolate Chip Star
Nidorellia armata
1 photo

Cushion Sea Star
Culcita novaeguineae
33 photos

Granulated Sea Star
Choriaster granulatus
15 photos

Horned Sea Star
Protoreaster nodosus
5 photos

Panamic Cushion Star
Pentaceraster cumingi
2 photos

Red Cushion Sea Star
Oreaster reticulatus
4 photos

Red-knobbed Sea Star
Protoreaster lincki
3 photos

Schmedelian Pincushion Sea Star
Culcita schmedeliana
3 photos

Sydney Sea Star
Anthenea sidneyensis
1 photo