Hippasteria phrygiana
Hippasteria phrygiana | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Phylum: | Echinodermata
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Class: | Asteroidea
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Order: | |
Family: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | H. phrygiana
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Binomial name | |
Hippasteria phrygiana | |
Synonyms | |
Hippasteria spinosa Verrill, 1909 |
Hippasteria phrygiana is a sea star species, member of the Goniasteridae family.
Description and characteristics[]
This species grows up to 20 cm in diameter, with short arms and a large body. The upper surface is red and covered with rounded knob-like spines; the lower surface contains many macroscopic bivalved pedicellariae.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Olympic_Coast_National_Marine_Sanctuary_2010_Solaster_dawsoni_attacking_Hippasteria_spinosa.jpg/290px-Olympic_Coast_National_Marine_Sanctuary_2010_Solaster_dawsoni_attacking_Hippasteria_spinosa.jpg)
Hippasteria phrygiana attacked by Solaster dawsoni
Habitat and geographic range[]
This species is incredibly widely distributed: it is present in the 3 main oceanic basins.[1]
It lives mostly in cold and deep waters.[1]
Biology[]
This species feeds mostly on cnidarians, especially deep-sea corals.[2]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b Mah, Christopher L. (2013-02-12). "Starfish Mystery! 3 Oceans,2 Hemispheres,but ONE species?!". The Echinoblog.
- ^ Mah, Christopher L. (2013-09-16). "Goniasterid Starfish LOVE to eat Octocorals!". The Echinoblog.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hippasteria phrygiana. |
Categories:
- Hippasteria
- Animals described in 1758
- Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
- Asteroidea stubs