General Description
Body pale yellow to white, with purple patches (adults often without purple). Five arms, tips pointed and usually curled upward. Up to 50 cm wide (arm tip to arm tip).
Biology
Northern Pacific Seastars are native to Japan, Korea and eastern Russia. They were first recorded in Australia from the Derwent Estuary, Tasmania in 1986. It is a voracious predator and scavenger, has a prolific reproduction capacity, and now numbers in the millions. This pest is sometimes confused with native species, but is distinguished by the arm tips and spines on the body.
Distribution
North-west Pacific. Tasmanian waters and Port Phillip in Victoria.
Habitat
Reef and sand areas, near jetties.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Arm tips pointed and often curled upward.
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Colours
Yellow, Purple, Orange
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Habitats
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Diet
Carnivore
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Diet Categories
Invertebrates, Bivalves
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, DSE Advisory List: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Depths
Deep ( > 30 m)
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Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
Lütken, 1871
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Common Name
Northern Pacific Seastar
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Other Names
Seastar
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
amurensis
