General Description
Body with 6-9 (usually 8) arms. Colour variable, including mottled green, blue, mauve, white, orange, yellow, red, brown and black. Patterns varying, including orange or blue arms with dark middle area. Up to 9 cm wide (arm tip to arm tip).
Biology
The multi-coloured Eight-armed Cushion Stars feed on everything, from pieces of seaweed to rotting flesh from dead fish, and live bivalves such as mussels. They occur on and under rocks across their habitat.
Distribution
Eastern and Southern Australian coasts.
Habitat
Rocky reefs, seagrass meadows and tidal pools, to depth of 10 m.
More Information
-
Animal Type
-
Animal SubType
-
Brief Id
Usually eight arms merged with disc, colourful patterns.
-
Colours
Orange, Blue, Red, Green, Brown
-
Habitats
-
Diet
Omnivore
-
Diet Categories
Encrusting Invertebrates, Bivalves, Algae
-
Endemicity
-
Commercial
No
-
Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, DSE Advisory List: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
-
Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m)
-
Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor
-
Taxon Name
-
Scientific Author
(Lamarck, 1816)
-
Common Name
Eight-armed Cushion Star
-
Other Names
Seastar
-
Phylum
-
Subphylum
-
Class
-
Superorder
-
Order
-
Family
-
Genus
-
Species Name
calcar
