Fromia schultzei, commonly known as the granular starfish, is a species of starfish belonging to the family Goniasteridae. It is found on the coasts of South Africa.
| Fromia schultzei | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Goniasteridae |
| Genus: | Fromia |
| Species: | F. schultzei
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| Binomial name | |
| Fromia schultzei | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editThis large starfish normally has five arms. It is often about 100 mm (4 in) in diameter, while arms of 14 mm (1 in). The arms are broad at the base tapering gradually to a rounded, upturned tip. The surface is covered with little bumps, giving the starfish a granular appearance. The colour is dark orange, red or purplish. There are few spines in the adambulacral areas, and those there are regularly arranged, helping to distinguish this species from Nardoa tuberculata, which is also found in South African waters.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ a b Mah, Christopher (2018). "Fromia schultzei Döderlein, 1910". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ Papers from the Department of Marine Biology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The Institution. 1921.
- ^ "Granular starfish Austrofromia schultzei". Reef Diversity. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.