ExplorarInvertebrate

Pisaster giganteus

The Pacific sea star, or Pisaster giganteus, is a colorful starfish found in the ocean. It has five arms and can be purple, orange, or even yellow! These starfish love to cling to rocks and explore the tide pools.

Hábitat: Coastal areas

Aspecto

The Pisaster giganteus is a large sea star, typically purple, brown, or red, often adorned with prominent, blunt white spines that form a striking network across its dorsal surface. Its five robust arms radiate from a central disc.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloEchinodermataClaseAsteroideaOrdenForcipulatidaFamiliaAsteriidaeGéneroPisaster

Pisaster giganteus

Categoría

Invertebrate

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Giant sea stars don't have a brain or blood, but they still thrive!

Some giant sea stars surprisingly have six or even seven arms!

Their entire body is covered in tiny, hard skeletal plates called ossicles.

They breathe using tiny, feathery skin gills all over their back!

Habilidades especiales

Pisaster giganteus can regrow lost arms because of specialized cells that helps them recover from injury.

Pisaster giganteus has hundreds of powerful tube feet that help them cling tightly to rocks and slowly crawl across the seafloor.

Pisaster giganteus can push its stomach outside its body to digest prey, which helps them eat large or shelled animals.

Pisaster giganteus can sense chemicals in the water, which helps them detect prey like mussels from a distance.

Medidas y detalles

Longitud: 10-30 cm
Peso: 0.5-3 kg
Esperanza de vida: 10-20 años
Top Speed: 0.01 km/h

Dieta y alimentación

A slow but mighty hunter, this sea star feasts on shelled creatures like mussels and barnacles.

Alimentos principales

mussels
barnacles
limpets
snails
tube worms

Método de búsqueda

Foraging

Conexiones ecológicas

eats

California mussel

Mytilus californianus

They are a favorite prey for this sea star.

eats

Acorn barnacle

Balanus glandula

These sea stars pry open and digest barnacles.

eaten by

Sea otter

Enhydra lutris

Sea otters sometimes prey on sea stars.

eaten by

Western gull

Larus occidentalis

Gulls may eat sea stars exposed at low tide.

Rasgos

Solitario

Los animales solitarios viven solos durante la mayor parte de su vida y solo interactúan con otros para aparearse o cuidar de sus crías.

Colorido

Colorido describe a organismos u objetos que exhiben una amplia variedad de colores brillantes y distintivos.

Filtrador

Los filtradores obtienen nutrientes filtrando partículas de alimentos suspendidos y pequeños organismos del agua.

Costero

Los hábitats costeros son entornos dinámicos situados a lo largo de la interfaz entre la tierra y el mar, influenciados por las mareas, las olas y el agua salada.