Luidia australiae, the southern sand star, is a species of starfish in the family Luidiidae. It is found in the Pacific Ocean around Australia and New Zealand.
| Luidia australiae | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Paxillosida |
| Family: | Luidiidae |
| Genus: | Luidia |
| Species: | L. australiae
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| Binomial name | |
| Luidia australiae | |
Description
editLuidia australiae has a variable number of long, slim, tapering arms but seven is the most common number. The central disc and the arms are a dull yellow colour, irregularly blotched with dark green or black. It can grow to 40 centimetres (16 in) in diameter.[2][3]
Distribution and habitat
editLuidia australiae is native to the waters around southern Australia and New Zealand. It is found on reefs, in seagrass meadows, and semi-buried in sand at depths of up to 110 metres (360 ft). It is sometimes washed ashore after storms.
Biology
editLuidia australiae is a carnivore and is often found half-buried in the sediment in seagrass beds where its colouring provides camouflage. It is likely to be an opportunist predator of macrofauna, and possibly also a scavenger.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Mah, Christopher (2010). Mah CL (ed.). "Luidia australiae Doderlein, 1920". World Asteroidea database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ O'Loughlin, Mark (2011). "Luidia australiae Döderlein, 1920". Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay. Museum Victoria. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
- ^ a b O’Hara, T. D.; Norman, M. D.; Staples, D. A. (2002). "Baseline monitoring of Posidonia seagrass beds in Corner Inlet, Victoria". Museum Victoria Science Reports. 1: 1–44. doi:10.24199/j.mvsr.2002.01.