Luzon Sea Star
Echinaster luzonicus
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Echinodermata
- Class
- Asteroidea
- Order
- Spinulosida
- Family
- Echinasteridae
- Genus
- Echinaster
- Species
- Echinaster luzonicus
The Luzon sea star (Echinaster luzonicus) is a small, red to orange-brown sea star with slender arms that are often of uneven length. It usually has five or six arms, and one or two are often shorter because they are regrowing.
It grows to about 10-15 cm across and feeds on algae, sponges and the organic film on rocks and rubble. It often reproduces by dropping an arm, which then grows into a new sea star.
The Luzon sea star is found in the western Pacific, including the Philippines, where it lives on shallow reefs and rubble. Check its underside for the tiny starfish shrimp.