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Underside of a sunflower sea star. Sunflower sea stars can reach an arm span of 1 m (3.3 ft). They are the heaviest known sea star, weighing about 5 kg. [4] They are the second-biggest sea star in the world, second only to the little known deep water Midgardia xandaros, whose arm span is 134 cm (53 in) and whose body is 2.6 cm (roughly 1 inch) wide. [7]
Solaster dawsoni attacking a spiny red sea star, Hippasteria spinosa An adult specimen of Solaster dawsoni afflicted by the Sea star wasting disease off Vancouver. The morning sun star is a predator, feeding mostly on other starfish. It is feared by other stars which move away as fast as they can if touched by a morning sun star.
Starfish oocytes are well suited for this research as they are large and easy to handle, transparent, simple to maintain in sea water at room temperature, and they develop rapidly. [126] Asterina pectinifera , used as a model organism for this purpose, is resilient and easy to breed and maintain in the laboratory.
The sea stars are considered “functionally extinct” in California and Oregon.
With more than 360 miles of beaches, crashing surf, soaring dunes, migrating whales and dramatic sea stacks rising offshore, Oregon’s coastline is a mecca for nature lovers and adventurers. But ...
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If attacked by a predator such as the morning sun star (Solaster dawsoni) or the sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), the slime star emits great quantities of repellent mucus and can often evade the predator. [3] The mucus is toxic and has been shown to kill other invertebrates immersed in it. [3]
Adult king crabs have been reported as attacking and eating the starfish. [6] It is also preyed on by gulls in the intertidal zone and by the morning sunstar (Solaster dawsoni) and the sunflower seastar (Pycnopodia helianthoides). [5]