|
|
|
|
The most common starfish... well sea star to be more correct, they are not fish at all, but then neither are jellyfish so perhaps I will just stick to calling them starfish as I learned in the first half of the last century. As I was saying, the most common starfish we see are called the northern or common starfish, Asterias vulgaris. They are quite robust with rough skin and various colors.
|
Northern starfish
|
|
The blood star, Henricia sanguinolenta, gets its name from its red color. Their skin is not so rough as the northern starfish and their arms are somewhat more slender.
|
Blood star
|
|
We have not identified this starfish. It is pale, chubby and smooth. If anyone can identify this animal we would be glad to hear from you. Please
email us if you can help.
|
Pale star
|
|
Here is another variety we have not identified. This individual is missing one arm. That is not an uncommon sight. Starfish regenerate lost limbs over time. Notice in this clip the starfish touches a little bivalve thing attached to the rock and apparently gets a tube foot stuck when the shelled animal snaps shut. If anyone can identify either the starfish or the shelled animal please
let us know.
|
Mottled star
|
|
Look carefully just to the right of the sea urchin spines at the bottom left of the image. You should see a tiny, thin armed, starfish looking critter. It is not a starfish but a daisy brittle star, scientific name Ophioholis aculeata, meaning snakelike bristled animals. There is a second one on the mussel in center foreground. These are juveniles. The adults are nocturnal. These are easier to see in the video.
|
Daisy brittle star
|
|
The adult daisy brittle star spends most of the daylight hours hanging out under rocks. We think that the tentacle like structures on either side of the red sea cucumber are arms from one or more daisy brittle stars.
|
Daisy brittle star arms
|
|
We found what we think is a really big daisy brittle star reaching around from the back side of a mussel. We have to judge its size by its tentacles. It never does come out where we get a good look. Notice the smaller daisy star on the mussel at the lower right.
|
Daisy brittle star arms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
