Luidia ciliaris is a large starfish between 40 to 60 cm in diameter. One of the main
characteristic of this starfish are its seven long arms, usually cylindrical but sometimes flattened,
and tapering to tips. The arm margins bear a series of spines. The upper surface of the
seven-armed starfish varies from pale orange to reddish orange whereas the lower surface is white. Its arms
may break easily when attacked, but, as it is the case with most echinoderms, it can regenerate a cut-down
part, giving it an asymetrical shape with a arm shorter than the other ones. It lives on sandy or muddy
bottoms where it may partly bury to catch heart-urchins and bivalves.
It is found from 10 to 400 m deep in the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the North Sea and more rarely
in the Mediterranean Sea.
Phylum Echinodermata, class Asteroidea, order Paxillosida, family Luidiidae, Luidia ciliaris (Philippi, 1837).
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Photograph: © Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with author's kind permission.
Luidia ciliaris, Bay of Concarneau, South-Brittany, West of France. Depth 15 meters.
Text: Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005-2008.
Translation: Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2007-2008.
