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sea
stars text index | photo
index
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| Phylum Echinodermata > Class Stelleroida > Subclass Asteroidea |
| Spiny
sea star Gymnanthenea laevis Family Oreasteridae updated Aug 10 Where seen? This sea star is sometimes seen, usually on our Northern shores. In seagrass meadows and sometimes, coral rubble. Features: Diameter with arms 7-15cm. Arms long with rounded tips. The body is bordered by large, block-like scalloped plates with huge pedicellaria (pincer-like structures), with many short spines along the arms. On the upper side, there are many spiny bumps, sometimes with very lage flat plate-like spines. The underside is pale usually without any patterns. Each plate on the underside has a huge bivalved pedicellaria (pincer-like structures). The pale tube feet are tipped with suckers. Colours seen generally mottled brown or grey, sometimes with orange arm tips. Bright orange ones are sometimes seen. Sometimes confused with the Biscuit sea star (Goniodiscaster scaber) and the Cake sea star (Anthenea aspera). Here's more on how to tell apart large sea stars on our shores. |
 Beting Bronok, Jul 08  Large plate-like spines on upperside. |
 Spines on the tips of the arms. |
 Large block-like plates on sides of the arms. |
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 Large bivalved pedicelleria on the underside. |
 Underside usually plain. |
Spiny sea stars on Singapore shores
 Changi, Jun 08 |
 Large spiny bumps on upperside. |
 Large block-like plates on sides of the arms. |
 Underside. |
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 Large bivalved pedicellaria. |
more photos of spiny sea stars on Singapore shores
northern shores part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4
southern shores
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References
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