Common Names
Common Names in English:
Common Sun Star, Rose Sea Star, Rose Star, Snowflake Star
Description
Physical Description
Species Crossaster papposus
This many-rayed seastar has a broad central disk and 8-16 rays , has abundant scattered spines (paxillae) on the aboral surface but no pedicellariae. Its color is a rose-red with light pink or white (picture) (sometines yellow or orange). Up to 30 cm diameter.
Habitat
Depth Range : Extremely low intertidal to 1200 m. Mostly subtidal .
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,012 meters (0 to 9,882 feet).Mean = 1,046.470 meters (3,433.301 feet), Standard Deviation = 573.240 based on 19,906 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.
Biology
Diet
Diet includes sea pens , nudibranchs such as Archidoris odhneri and Coryphella sp, the scallops Chlamys hastata and C. rubida, bryozoans , and tunicates . Has been known to attack the seastar Evasterias troschelii and Leptasterias sp.
Reproduction
Spawns March to April. Juveniles often cluster subtidally in masses of the tubedwelling polychaete Phyllochaetopterus prolifica. Grow slowly--maximum size is achieved after about 10 years.
Behavior
Predators include the seastars Solaster dawsoni and Pycnopodia helianthoides. May have the symbiotic polychaete worm Arctonoe vittata. This species can move relatively fast for a seastar--up to 70 cm/minute.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
)
- animals
- Phylum:
Echinodermata
()
- Echinoderms
- Class:
Asteroidea
()
- Order:
Spinulosida
()
- Family:
Curculionoidea
()
- Genus:
Crossaster
()
- (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Specific name:
papposus
- (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Scientific name: - Crossaster papposus (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Specific name:
papposus
- (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Genus:
Crossaster
(
- Family:
Curculionoidea
(
- Order:
Spinulosida
(
- Class:
Asteroidea
(
- Phylum:
Echinodermata
(
Unambiguous Synonyms
- Solaster papposus (Linnaeus, 1767)
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 27-Dec-2004
Similar Species
Solaster stimpsoni and S. dawsoni have much smaller central disks in relation to their total diameter and do not have the abundant aboral spines nor this coloration. Pycnopodia helianthoides has more rays (when mature), grows larger, and has abundant pedicellariae, plus its rays are very flabby.
Members of the genus Crossaster
There are approximately 6 species in this genus:
C. campbellicus · C. canopus · C. japonicus · C. multispinus · C. papposus (Common Sun Star) · C. squamatus
Bibliography
- Harbo, Rick M., 1999. Whelks to Whales: Coastal Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, BC, Canada. Paperback, 245 pp. ISBN 1-55017-183-6.
- Kozloff, Eugene N., 1987. Marine Invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA. 511 pp. ISBN 0-295-96530-4
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 16, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal December 09, 2007:
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, A comparison of benthic biodiversity in the North Sea, English Channel and Celtic Seas
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Atlantic Reference Centre
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Bay of Fundy Species List
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, BioMar
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Cross Sands broadscale survey 1998
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Gwaii Haanas Invertebrates
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Histroical benthic dredge samples from the southern baltic and the North Sea
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Natural Geography In Shore Areas
- Dataset
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, SeamountsOnline
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, Taxonomic Information Sytem for the Belgian coastal area
- The Danish Biodiversity Information Facility, Marine Benthic Fauna List, Læsø, Denmark
- UK National Biodiversity Network, Countryside Council for Wales - Benthic Marine data from CCW Technical Support
- Contracts
- UK National Biodiversity Network, Countryside Council for Wales - Pembrokeshire Marine Species Atlas
- UK National Biodiversity Network, Marine Biological Association - Marine Life Survey Data
- collated by MarLIN
- UK National Biodiversity Network, Marine Biological Association - Marine survey data
- held by MarLIN.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2764932
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-157066
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13727483
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 157066
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 153372
