Kingdom Animalia Order Forcipulatida Genus Leptasterias Higher classification Leptasterias | Phylum Echinodermata Family Asteriidae Scientific name Leptasterias aequalis Rank Species | |
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Similar Leptasterias, Starfish, Leptasterias hexactis, Echinoderm, Asteriidae | ||
Leptasterias aequalis juvenile and mother biohopk160h
Leptasterias aequalis, common names little six-rayed seastar or six-armed star, is a species of starfish.
Contents
- Leptasterias aequalis juvenile and mother biohopk160h
- Leptasterias aequalis brooded juveniles and mother biohopk160h
- References
This is a small species, with a total width of only about 5 centimetres (2.0 in). The coloration is extremely variable.
This seastar is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Washington to Southern California. It lives on rocky shores, in the mid intertidal zone.
Many sea-stars broadcast spawn their embryos, where fertilization occurs in the water column, however Leptasterias species brood their embryos locally. The stars form mating aggregations and the female sits on her brood for a period of 6–8 weeks while the embryos develop underneath. Eventually the embryos fully metamorphose into juvenile sea-stars and walk away, and thus can only locally disperse.