Javier Couper (Predomalpha), New Zealand
Info
Stichaster australis (Verrill, 1867)
Colour range from pink to purple to orange.Size 8 to 10 cm in diameter..
Can be found fin the shallow waters of the rocky intertidal of New Zealand.the animal is endemic to the west coast shores of the North and South Islands, where wave action is increased. Typically eleven arms, but sometimes they may have either ten or twelve.
Juveniles, until reaching about 0.8 cm in diameter, when they are about 7 to 8 months old, feed purely on the red alagae M. insigne. Stichaster australis, as it increases in size to about 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter and begins to mature, will then solely feed on the mussels. The diet of this starfish during the adult stage consists mainly of Perna canaliculus, the New Zealand green mussel.
Synonymised names:
Coelasterias australis Verrill, 1867
Colour range from pink to purple to orange.Size 8 to 10 cm in diameter..
Can be found fin the shallow waters of the rocky intertidal of New Zealand.the animal is endemic to the west coast shores of the North and South Islands, where wave action is increased. Typically eleven arms, but sometimes they may have either ten or twelve.
Juveniles, until reaching about 0.8 cm in diameter, when they are about 7 to 8 months old, feed purely on the red alagae M. insigne. Stichaster australis, as it increases in size to about 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter and begins to mature, will then solely feed on the mussels. The diet of this starfish during the adult stage consists mainly of Perna canaliculus, the New Zealand green mussel.
Synonymised names:
Coelasterias australis Verrill, 1867
