Echinaster sepositus explained

Echinaster sepositus, the Mediterranean red sea star, is a species of starfish from the East Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea.^{[1] [2]}

Description

Echinaster sepositus has five relatively slender arms around a small central disc. It usually has a diameter of up to 20abbr=onNaNabbr=on, but can exceptionally reach up to 30abbr=onNaNabbr=on.^[3] It is a bright orange-red in colour, and has a soapy surface texture unlike superficially similar Henricia starfish (another somewhat similar species from the same region is Ophidiaster ophidianus). The surface is dotted with evenly spaced pits from which the animal can extend its deep red gills (papula).^[4]

Distribution

Echinaster sepositus is found in the East Atlantic north of the Equator, including the Mediterranean Sea where it is one of the most common starfish (although virtually absent from some localities).^{[1] [3]} Its northern limit is the English Channel, but only on the French side.^[5] It is found at depths of 1to(-) in a wide range of habitats, including rocky, sandy and muddy bottoms, and sea grass meadows (Posidonia oceanica and Zostera).^{[3] [5] [6]}

Notes and References

1. Villamor . Adriana . Becerro . Mikel A. . Matching spatial distributions of the sea star Echinaster sepositus and crustose coralline algae in shallow rocky Mediterranean communities . Marine Biology . October 2010 . 157 . 10 . 2241–2251 . 10.1007/s00227-010-1489-2 . 18 February 2024.
2. Web site: Raisch, A. . 2012 . Variation of Habitat for Echinaster sepositus and Implications for Habitat Preference . University of California Santa Cruz, Marine Biology . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20211107201234/http://courses.pbsci.ucsc.edu/eeb/bioe159/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Raisch-bioe159-paper1.docx . 7 November 2021 .
3. European Marine Life: Echinaster sepositus. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
4. Web site: Echinaster sepositus. Red Starfish . Encyclopedia of Life . 2013-05-15.
5. Web site: Red starfish - Echinaster sepositus . MarLIN . 2013-05-15.
6. Villamor, A.; R. Espluga; and M.A. Becerro (2010). Feeding habits of the common sea star Echinaster sepositus and its ecological implications on Mediterranean shallow rocky bottoms. (résumé). VI Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina, Alicante, Spain.