Pink Sea Star

Pisaster brevispinus

Pink Sea Star

“ If you cut the starfish in half, you'll be in for a surprise: the animal won't die and pretty soon you'll have two starfish to deal with. ”

– Ori Brafman

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Asteroidea

Order: Forcipulatida

Family: Asteriidae

Genus: Pisaster

Species: Pisaster brevispinus

Descendant: Pisaster

Named by: William Stimpson

Year Published: 1857

Size: diameter of 320 millimetres (13 in), up to 90 centimetres (35 in). 4.5 kilograms in weigh (9.9 lb)

Type: Echinoderms (Sea Stars)

Title: n/a

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Good

Threat Level: ★

Diet: Carnivorous 🥩🥓🐟🦑🦀🐚

Elements: Water

Inflicts: n/a

Weaknesses: Fire, electric, leaf

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Not Evaluated

Pink Sea Star (Pisaster brevispinus), commonly called the Giant Pink Sea Star, or Short-spined Sea Star, is a species of sea star in the northeast Pacific Ocean.

Etymology

Coming soon

Physical Appearance

The pink sea star has a sizable core disc and five thick limbs. One of the world's biggest sea stars is this one. Monsters have been discovered that are up to 90 centimeters (35 in) in diameter, despite having an average diameter of 320 millimeters (13 in). The largest creatures can reach 4.5 kilograms (9.9 lb) in weight. This star's upper, arboral surface is typically pink, occasionally with gray hints. The arms' radius ranges from 2.8 to 5.0 times that of the disc's.


A clear madreporite may be seen on the upper surface of the middle disc. This structure cleans the animal's drinking water. On the bottom of the center disc is where the animal's mouth is located.


The star's upper surface is covered in short, 2 millimeter (0.079 inch) spines. While each arm usually has a row of spines running along the top, the rest of the animal is covered in spines, either singly or in groups of two or three. Tiny pincers, known as pedicellariae, can be found on the star's upper and lower surfaces. These pincers are probably utilized to remove encrusting organisms that would otherwise develop on the star.


Four rows of tube feet are located in deep grooves that extend from the mouth on the star's lower, or oral, side. These are utilized by the star for both movement and prey capture. To help in digging prey from the ocean floor, the tube feet around the mouth are particularly lengthy, at least equivalent to the radius of the center disc.

Abilities

One of the most well-known and dramatic instances is the ability of starfish to develop an entirely new body with just one arm. Additionally, starfish possess a neurological regeneration potential that is uncommon in other animals.

Weaknesses

When the starfish are removed from the sea, they perish. Due to their inability to remain submerged while breathing, starfish get poisoned with carbon monoxide, which results in asphyxiation and death. Stress by handling animals too much is another frequent cause of mortality.

Ecology

Carnivorous and scavenger in nature, the pink sea star. Bivalves are its primary prey. Butter clams, jackknife clams, horse clams, littleneck clams, and geoduck clams are among the cockles it hunts, catches, and eats. It is uncertain how it detects buried clams, but once it does, it will dig down to the clam by using its tube feet to push silt from close to its mouth to the ends of its arms. There have been holes found that are as deep as 10 centimeters (3.9 in).


It takes several days for it to dig its victim out of the sediment, cling to it with its tube feet, and rip the valves open. It is a slow-moving hunter. The star now forces its stomach inside the shell by forcing it via its mouth. The star has the ability to move its stomach up to 8 centimeters (3.1 in) away from its mouth. Inside its own shell, the pink sea star consumes the bivalve by secreting digestive juices.


Due to its opportunistic eating style, this star will consume other animals besides bivalves when they are around. It will consume small Dungeness crabs, barnacles, polychaete worms, Kellet's whelk, sand dollars, and snails. Carrion, such as dead fish and squid, is what it eats. It contends with sunflower stars and will engage them in conflict over prey items.


It has been noted that sea otters will remove an arm from this sea star and devour the gonads. At low tide, gulls will try to eat a pink sea star that is exposed. Other sea stars, such the morning sun star, also prey on them. These sea stars are also eaten by sheep crabs. The biggest animals most likely avoid predation just by virtue of their size.


The majority of pink sea stars are gonochoric, which means that each individual is either male or female. There are two gonads in each arm. To breed, these stars raise their center discs off the ocean floor, releasing their minuscule gametes. Their eggs have a diameter of 165 micrometers (0.0065 inches).


According to theory, groups of stars coordinate their spawning in order to improve the likelihood of fertilization. The zygote transforms into a planktonic larva after fertilization, where it feeds on tiny algae. The larva goes through various stages of development. In 2 to 3 days, it develops into a gastrula, then in 5 days, a bipinnaria, and eventually, a brachiolaria. The larva starts looking for a suitable surface to settle on as the last stage comes to a close. At this point, the larva has developed a big sack-like structure called a primordium. A young sea star emerges from the larva when it sinks to the bottom.

Behavior

No, starfish don't bite. They have no teeth and are not dangerous to humans. These small sea creatures are not exactly known for their voracious appetite and won't harm you.

Distribution and Habitat

The pink sea star was collected on a sandy bottom, 10 fathoms (18 m) deep, near the mouth of San Francisco Bay. This sea star occurs along the coast of North America from Sitka, Alaska to La Jolla, California. It is found in Puget Sound. The pink sea star is found in relatively shallow water from the lower intertidal zone to 110 metres (360 ft) deep.


Between the lower intertidal zone to 110 meters (360 feet) of depth, the pink sea star can be found in relatively shallow water. Due to how poorly the animal tolerates being out of water, it is typically only observed on the beach during extremely low tides. Instead of the open ocean coast, it favors calm waters like bays and harbors. It inhabits the ocean's bottom, preferring the muddy and sandy areas where its primary prey can be found. But occasionally you can find it on pilings or stony bottoms. Low-salinity locations are avoided.


Tamed

The advantages of having a starfish are numerous. They are incredibly well-liked pets and are the ideal addition to any house or workplace. Another intriguing and distinctive species of invertebrate is the starfish.

Lore

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