''Ceramaster arcticus'', the Arctic cookie star, is a species of
sea star. It is pink and often has dark red accents. It has broad arms, no spines, and no pincers, or
pedicellariae. It is considered rare and only inhabits the Pacific Ocean off the coast of northwestern North America.
Description
A member of the sea star genus ''Ceramaster'' (often referred to as
cushion stars), the Arctic cookie star is broadly pentagonal, rigid, and like other ''Ceramaster'' species, has no arms. The species' aboral surface (i.e., the top of the sea star) has small flat-topped plates. Growing up to 11 cm across (4.2 inches), it is pink and often has red accents. The species preys on
sponges.
The species is similar to the more common cookie star (''
Ceramaster patagonicus
''Ceramaster patagonicus'', the cookie star, is a species of sea star. It is bright orange or yellow in colour. Its arms are short and it has no spines. It is a deep water species and lives on rocky sea beds. Its diet includes sponges.
Subspeci ...
'').
Distribution
The species inhabits the
Pacific Ocean off the northwestern coast (
intertidal zone
The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...
) to a depth of ) of North America, ranging from the
Aleutian Islands to the north to the
Strait of Juan de Fuca to the south. While rare, according to Sea Stars of the Pacific Northwest, the species is more abundant in the northern portion of its range.
References
External links
Sea Stars of the Pacific Northwest
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2248048
Goniasteridae
Animals described in 1907