# Sunflower Sea Star (*pycnopodia helianthoides*) The Sunflower Sea Star is a colorful starfish with lots of arms! It can have up to 24 arms and loves to crawl along the ocean floor. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** They live in the ocean, often in rocky or sandy areas along the coast. - **Also known as:** Sunstar ![Sunflower Sea Star](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sun_flower_sea_star_in_tide_pools.jpg&width=800) Photo: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_flower_sea_star_in_tide_pools.jpg) ## Appearance The Sunflower Sea Star has a striking appearance with up to 24 long, tapering arms radiating from a large central disc. Its skin can be vibrant orange, purple, pink, or yellow, and feels soft and velvety, unlike other spiny sea stars. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Echinodermata - **Class:** Asteroidea - **Order:** Forcipulatida - **Family:** Asteriidae - **Genus:** Pycnopodia ## Interesting facts - A Sunflower Sea Star can have thousands of tiny tube feet under its arms! - It can move super fast, gliding up to a meter in just one minute! - This giant can live up to 35 years in the wild! - This is the largest sea star on Earth, reaching up to 1 meter across! ## Special abilities - **Limb Re-Grow:** Sunflower Sea Star can regrow lost arms because of special stem cells that help them survive injuries. - **Swift Glider:** Sunflower Sea Star can move quickly across the seafloor using thousands of tube feet that help them chase prey. - **Stomach Attack:** Sunflower Sea Star has an eversible stomach that helps them digest large prey outside their body. - **Multi-Armed Power:** Sunflower Sea Star can have up to 24 arms that help them grab and hold onto prey. ## Measurements & details - **Weight:** 6 kg - **Weight:** 5 kg - **Arm Count:** 16-24 - **Average Arm Length:** 40 cm - **Max Arm Length:** 100 cm ## Diet & Feeding This giant sea star eats many kinds of shellfish, snails, and even other sea stars! - **Primary Foods:** clams, snails, sea urchins, abalone, mussels, other sea stars - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** California mussel (*Mytilus californianus*) — favorite food source - **Hunts:** Purple sea urchin (*Strongylocentrotus purpuratus*) — eats these spiny creatures - **Hunts:** [Ochre sea star](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ochre-sea-star) (*Pisaster ochraceus*) — can prey on other sea stars ## 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. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [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. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sunflower Sea Star? Look for fins, arms, tentacles, shells and body symmetry. Underwater light shifts colors, so structure and markings usually matter more than shade. Sea Creature Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How much does Sunflower Sea Star weigh? 6 kg ### What does Sunflower Sea Star eat? This giant sea star eats many kinds of shellfish, snails, and even other sea stars! ### Where is Sunflower Sea Star usually found? They live in the ocean, often in rocky or sandy areas along the coast. ### How does Sunflower Sea Star hunt? Pursuit ### How many arms does Sunflower Sea Star have? 16-24 ### What is the average Arm Length of Sunflower Sea Star? 40 cm ### What is the max Arm Length of Sunflower Sea Star? 100 cm ## Where to spot - [Guard Island Light](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/guard-island-light) — US · Historic District - [Heal the Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heal-the-bay-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Say Nuth Khaw Yum Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/say-nuth-khaw-yum-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Sunflower Sea Star](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sunflower-sea-star) ## 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: [Sunflower Sea Star: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sunflower-sea-star)