Hippasteria phrygiana is a sea star species, a member of the Goniasteridae family.
| Hippasteria phrygiana | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Goniasteridae |
| Genus: | Hippasteria |
| Species: | H. phrygiana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hippasteria phrygiana (Parelius, 1768)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hippasteria spinosa Verrill, 1909 | |
Description and characteristics
editThis 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.
Habitat and geographic range
editThis 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
editThis species feeds mostly on cnidarians, especially deep-sea corals.[2]
References
edit- ^ 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
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hippasteria phrygiana.
- Habitas entry
- Catalog of Life entry[permanent dead link]
- National Center for Biotechnology Information search
- Seawater.no entry
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