Invertebrates
Common Sunstar
Crossaster papposus · also called spiny sunstar
On a rocky seabed off the Scottish coast, a common sunstar creeps toward a starfish, its twelve red-ringed arms spread like a blazing sun.
Overview
The common sunstar, Crossaster papposus, is a many-armed starfish of rocky and gravelly seabeds in the cool North Atlantic and Arctic seas. Its sun-like colours, many arms, and habit of eating other starfish make it one of the most striking starfish of northern waters.
A starfish that eats starfish
Few starfish hunt their own kind, but the common sunstar is a specialist predator of other starfish, as well as sea cucumbers and urchins.
Status
Not Evaluated, but widespread and common.
Common Sunstar: common questions
How many arms does a sunstar have?
It has around 8 to 14 arms, more than most starfish, which radiate from a broad central disc.
What does a sunstar eat?
It eats other starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and sometimes sea anemones and sponges.
Why is it called a sunstar?
It is red or orange with concentric rings of white and darker red around its centre, like a rising sun.
Where is the common sunstar found?
It lives on rocky and gravelly seabeds of the cool North Atlantic and Arctic, including the coasts of Britain, Ireland, and northern Europe.