Size

Arm length: reaching 30cm (12") in diameter

Recognition Characters

Central disk is small. Upper surface is covered with mosaic of brushlike spines. Arms are narrow and long with spines along the margins.

Color

Dorsal side of surface gray, brown, greenish, purplish or black banded with creamy yellow or grey. Tube feet are frequently orange.

Habitat & Depth

Sandy or soft sediment bottoms. To 50m deep.

Distribution at GRNMS

Locally abundant on sandy bottoms adjacent to ledges at GRNMS.

Geographic Range

North Carolina south to Argentina

Behavior & Notes

Sea stars burrow into sand or mud using tube feet and movable spines. Feed on small brittle stars, bivalves, and crustaceans buried in sediment. Forage at night.

Synonyms

References

Humann 1992a, Ruppert and Fox 1988