Size

Arm length: reaching 25cm (10") in diameter

Recognition Characters

Arms are bordered with conspicuous white spines along margins.

Color

Creamy white or gray body color with darker yellow stripe running down the arms.

Habitat & Depth

Sandy or soft sediment bottoms. To 40m deep.

Distribution at GRNMS

Locally abundant on sandy bottoms adjacent to ledges at GRNMS.

Geographic Range

New Jersey south to Brazil

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