Leptasterias pusilla is a small, six-rayed sea star.
| Leptasterias pusilla | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Forcipulatida |
| Family: | Asteriidae |
| Genus: | Leptasterias |
| Species: | L. pusilla
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leptasterias pusilla (Fisher, 1930)
| |
Description
edit"A dainty little six-rayed seastar with a total arm spread usually under 2 cm."[1]
Distribution
edit"The genus Leptasterias originates in the Arctic,"[2] and within the United States, this species can be found in the middle intertidal zone of rocky shores of central California, including San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties. Leptasterias pusilla is "...generally believed to be the most abundant species in the subgenus [Hexasterias] along the North American Pacific coast from central California to southern Alaska."[3]
Behavior
editLeptasterias pusilla may be quite numerous in the middle intertidal zone of rocky shores, typically moving around on the top of rocks at night after hiding under them during the day.[1]
Diet
editPoikilotherms primarily feed on small gastropods, with only minimal metabolic rate fluctuations in response to changes in ambient temperature.[4]
Reproduction
editThe Leptasterias pusilla "...breeding habits are famous." The mother keeps the eggs and larvae in brood clusters around her mouth area until the larvae reach adult form. "Ovigerous females may be found in January and February, with the minute offspring seen in tide pools during February and March."[1]
See also
editFurther reading
edit- Langstroth, Lovell and Libby (2000). A Living Bay: The Underwater World of Monterey Bay. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22149-4.
- McEdward, Larry and Benjamin G. Miner. "Larval and life-cycle patterns in echinoderms." Can. J. Zool. 2001;79(7):1125–1170.
- Worley, et al. "Seasonal patterns of ganietogenesis in a North Atlantic brooding asteroid, Leptasterias tenera." Biol. Bull. August 1977;153:237-253.
References
edit- ^ a b c Ricketts, Edward, et al. (1985). Between Pacific tides. Stanford University Press, 60-61. ISBN 0-8047-2068-1.
- ^ Himmelman, J.H., et al. "Brooding behaviour of the northern sea star Leptasterias polaris." Marine Biology. 1982;68(3):235-240.
- ^ Hrincevich, Adam, et al. "Phylogenetic Analysis of Molecular Lineages in a Species-Rich Subgenus of Sea Stars (Leptasterias Subgenus Hexasterias)." Amer Zool. 2000;40:365–374.
- ^ Fuhrman, Geraldine. "Oxygen consumption of animals and tissues as a function of temperature." The Journal of General Physiology. 1958:715-722.
External links
edit- Hinton, Sam. "Little Six-rayed Starfish - Leptasterias pusilla." Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives. 1969.