Class Asteroidea Rank Species | Genus Parvulastra | |
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Similar Patiriella, Asterinidae, Cryptasterina hystera, Aquilonastra, Patiriella regularis | ||
Parvulastra exigua, or the dwarf cushion star is a species of sea star. It can be found in temperate intertidal marine communities from geographically widespread sites around the southern hemisphere (including South Africa and Australia).
Contents
Description
Pentagonal body with no obvious protruding arms. Dorsal surface tiled with a small cluster of spines at each tile. Colour variegated, with bright patterns in orange, brown, green and white.
Distribution
Parvulastra exigua is found from Namibia to Mozambique on intertidal zones up to 3 m, on St Helena, St Paul, and southeastern Australia.
Natural history
Intertidal and slightly deeper, well camouflaged. Feeds on microscopic algae by everting stomach onto substrate. No planktonic larval stage.
References
Parvulastra exigua Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA