Sun stars
| Sun stars | ||||||||||||
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Common sun star ( Crossaster papposus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Solasteridae | ||||||||||||
| Perrier , 1884 |
The sun stars (Solasteridae) are showy, multi-armed, very large starfish . They live mainly on the coasts of northern, cold seas.
The common sun star ( Crossaster papposus ), which can have 8 to 14 arms, reaches a diameter of 40 centimeters. It lives in the North Atlantic , from Greenland to the North Sea and the western Baltic Sea , and on the coast of Alaska at depths of 0 to 1200 meters. It often eats young common starfish ( Asterias rubens ). The purple sun star ( Solaster endeca ) also lives in the North Atlantic, but only to a depth of 450 meters. Stimpson's sun star ( Solaster stimpsoni ) lives on the Bering Strait in the North Pacificto California . It reaches a diameter of half a meter and likes to eat sea cucumbers . The Solaster dawsoni , which also lives in the North Pacific, prefers starfish as prey.
Sun stars are very variable in color and one species can have yellow, reddish, purple, brownish and other colors.
Genera
- Crossaster Müller & Troschel, 1840
- Cuenotaster Thiéry in Koehler, 1920
- Heterozonias Fisher, 1910
- Laetmaster Fisher, 1908
- Lophaster Verrill, 1878
- Paralophaster Fisher, 1940
- Rhipidaster Sladen, 1889
- Seriaster Jangoux, 1984
- Solaster Forbes, 1839
- Xenorias Fisher, 1913
literature
- Philip Lambert: Sea Stars of British Columbia, Southeast Alaska, and Puget Sound . Royal British Columbia Museum, University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver 2000. Order Velatida, Family Solasteridae , p. 75.
Web links
- WoRMS taxon details Solasteridae