WHATSTHATFISH
Sea stars & urchins

Horned Sea Star

Protoreaster nodosus

Also known as: Choc Chip Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Sea Star, Chocolate Chip Star, Common Starfish, Cookie Dough Sea Star, Giant Knobbly Star, Horned Starfish, Knobbly Sea Star, Nodular Sea Star, Starfish

Adult
@fishx6 · Lembeh Resort, Indonesia · August 20081 / 5
01

Overview

Found singly or in galaxies, on shallow gravel, sand, seagrass, and seaweed beds, over coral and rocky reefs. Large sea star, with five conical, short, thick arms. Colour varies from place to place.

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-Pacific
  • Country only · 5
LIVES IN

Found singly or in galaxies, on shallow gravel, sand, seagrass, and seaweed beds, over coral and rocky reefs.

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Adult photos 5

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumEchinodermata
    3. classAsteroidea
    4. orderValvatida
    5. familyOreasteridae
    6. genusProtoreaster
    7. speciesProtoreaster nodosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Sea Stars (Oreasteridae)