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.
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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.
