# 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. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Giant Sea Star, Pacific Sea Star ![Pisaster giganteus](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sandstar_300.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sandstar_300.jpg) ## Appearance 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Echinodermata - **Class:** Asteroidea - **Order:** Forcipulatida - **Family:** Asteriidae - **Genus:** Pisaster ## Interesting facts - 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! ## Special abilities - **Arm Regeneration:** Pisaster giganteus can regrow lost arms because of specialized cells that helps them recover from injury. - **Sticky Steps:** Pisaster giganteus has hundreds of powerful tube feet that help them cling tightly to rocks and slowly crawl across the seafloor. - **Stomach Flip:** Pisaster giganteus can push its stomach outside its body to digest prey, which helps them eat large or shelled animals. - **Sensory Search:** Pisaster giganteus can sense chemicals in the water, which helps them detect prey like mussels from a distance. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-30 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-3 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 0.01 km/h ## Diet & Feeding A slow but mighty hunter, this sea star feasts on shelled creatures like mussels and barnacles. - **Primary Foods:** mussels, barnacles, limpets, snails, tube worms - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sea-otter) (*Enhydra lutris*) — Sea otters sometimes prey on sea stars. - **Eaten by:** [Western gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-gull) (*Larus occidentalis*) — Gulls may eat sea stars exposed at low tide. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Regenerative](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/regenerative): Regenerative organisms possess the ability to regrow lost or damaged body parts, tissues, or organs. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch sea stars without asking an adult, as they need to stay in their ocean home. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pisaster giganteus? Compare body symmetry, shells, segments, legs, tentacles and how the animal moves. Invertebrates span many unrelated groups, so start with body structure. Invertebrate Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Pisaster giganteus? 10-30 cm ### How much does Pisaster giganteus weigh? 0.5-3 kg ### How long does Pisaster giganteus live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Pisaster giganteus move? 0.01 km/h ### What does Pisaster giganteus eat? A slow but mighty hunter, this sea star feasts on shelled creatures like mussels and barnacles. ### Where is Pisaster giganteus usually found? Coastal areas ### How does Pisaster giganteus hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Marineland of the Pacific](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marineland-of-the-pacific-california) — California, US · Zoo - [Marineland of the Pacific](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marineland-of-the-pacific) — California, US · Aquarium ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Pisaster giganteus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pisaster-giganteus)