Creature Feature – Giant Sea Star
This week on Creature Feature Friday we take a look at the Giant Sea Star.
A marine invertebrate found on the western coast of North America, like other species, this sea star species generally has five wide arms. They are either purple, yellow, orange, or brown in colour. It is the fourth largest species of sea star, and like other species, has the unique ability to regrow limbs!
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Pisaster giganteus
Phylum: Echinodermata
Order: Forcipulatida
Family: Asteriidae
Genus: Pisaster
© Olivia Johnson
Giant Sea Star Fact File
Size: The fourth largest sea star species, they can reach a diameter of 61cm
Distribution: This species can be found on the western coast of North America, usually on rocks and near the low tide mark
Diet: Individuals eat a range of barnacles, gastropods, and limpets
Behaviour: Like many other species, the giant sea star possesses the ability to regenerate their spiny limbs lost to predators like seagulls. They can also detach limbs as a distraction while they escape. If individuals are cut in half, they can grow into 2 new starfish
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
