Echinaster sepositus is a starfish of up to 20 cm in diameter, but which can reach
sometimes up to 30 cm.
It has five long cylindrical tapering arms surrounding a small central disc. Its surface is covered by
numerous small craters and its colour is bright red-orange. It lives on rocky bottoms.
It is found from 1 m to 250 m deep. It is common in the Mediterranean Sea, on the French coasts of the English
channel and on the African coasts down to the Equator. In other areas of the North-East Atlantic Ocean,
it is rare or even absent.
Phylum Echinodermata, class Stelleroidea, order Spinulosida, family Echinasteridae, Echinaster sepositus Retzius, 1805.
Please contact us if the meaning of one of the words used in this page is not clear.
Photograph: © Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with author's kind permission.
Echinaster sepositus, Illes Medes, Costa Brava, East of Spain. Depth 10 meters.
Text: Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005-2008.
Translation: Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2007-2008.