Meridiastra gunnii explained

Meridiastra gunnii is an Australian species of sea star.

It has six arms and can be any colour.^[1]

Molecular evidence indicated that there were genetically divergent eastern and western forms of what is currently referred to as M. gunnii in southern Australia, and that a taxonomic revision was necessary. Further studies have shown that it can be conspecific with Patiriella brevispina.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Meridiastra gunnii Six-armed Cushion Star in Museums Victoria Collections . Museums Victoria. 2011. October 1, 2024.
2. P.M O'Loughlin et al., A molecular and morphological review of the asterinid, Patiriella gunnii (Gray) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60(2): 181–195 (2003)