WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

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

Adult
@fishx6 · Lembeh Resort, Indonesia · August 20081 / 16
01

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.

02

How to identify

Body shape
nodulesstar

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 16
LIVES IN

Found singly or in consellations, on rubble and sandy areas close to seagrass beds, over shallow, inter-tidal reef platforms and reefs.

04

Adult photos 16

05

Discussion 2

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

2 comments

  • caden· 23 May 2018

    pls provide more info

  • fishx6Top Contributor· 24 May 2018

    I am afraid we have only limited information on Sea Stars!

    Helpful
ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumEchinodermata
  3. classAsteroidea
  4. orderValvatida
  5. familyOreasteridae
  6. genusPentaceraster
  7. speciesPentaceraster alveolatus (Perrier, 1875)

SourcesWoRMSSeaLifeBase

06

More in the family

Sea Stars (Oreasteridae)