Invertebrates
Antarctic Sea Star
Odontaster validus · also called Antarctic sea stars
Scavenging and hunting across the Antarctic seafloor in enormous numbers, an Antarctic sea star eats almost anything it comes across, its sheer abundance and unfussy diet giving it an outsized influence over the invertebrate community around it.
Overview
The Antarctic sea star, Odontaster validus, is a Least Concern invertebrate native to ocean and polar habitat across coastal and continental shelf waters surrounding Antarctica. Its extreme abundance, broad generalist diet, and outsized ecological influence make it one of the most ecologically important invertebrates found anywhere on the Antarctic seafloor.
An unfussy eater that shapes its whole neighbourhood
By eating almost anything it encounters, from algae to carrion to smaller invertebrates, the Antarctic sea star has become so abundant across the seafloor that its feeding habits alone help shape which other species can thrive nearby.
Status
Least Concern, remaining extremely abundant across suitable seafloor habitat surrounding Antarctica.
Antarctic Sea Star: common questions
Why is the Antarctic sea star considered ecologically important?
This species plays an outsized role in the Antarctic seafloor food web given its sheer abundance and broad diet, influencing the populations of many other invertebrate species around it.
What does the Antarctic sea star eat?
This species has an unusually broad, generalist diet, feeding on algae, dead animal matter, small invertebrates, and almost any other available food source it encounters.
How common is the Antarctic sea star?
This species is one of the most abundant predators and scavengers found on the Antarctic seafloor, often present in extremely high densities across suitable habitat.
How can you identify an Antarctic sea star?
This species has a distinctive reddish-orange colouration, making it one of the more visually recognisable invertebrates found on the Antarctic seafloor.