''Astrolirus patricki'' is a species of starfish in the family

Brisingidae The Brisingidae are a family of starfish found only in the deep sea. They inhabit both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at abyssal depths, and also occur in the Southern Ocean and around Antarctica at slightly shallower depths. The family was ...

. It is a deep-sea species found on seamounts in the northwestern

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

, at a depth of between . This species was discovered to science in 2013, and described in 2020. All known specimens of the species were observed attached to

hexactinellid Hexactinellid sponges are sponges with a skeleton made of four- and/or six-pointed siliceous spicules, often referred to as glass sponges. They are usually classified along with other sponges in the phylum Porifera, but some researchers consi ...

sponges, indicating a close, possibly

commensal Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit fro ...

, relationship between both taxa. Due to this apparent relationship with sponges, the species was named ''Astrolirus patricki'' as a reference to

Patrick Star Patrick Star is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. He is voiced by actor Bill Fagerbakke and was created and designed by marine biology, marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg ...

, an anthropomorphic starfish character from the animated series ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character ...

'', who is best friends with the

titular character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

, an anthropomorphic sponge. In 2021, the

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialis ...

selected ''A. patricki'' as one of "ten remarkable new species from 2020".

References

Brisingida Animals described in 2020 Fauna of the Pacific Ocean SpongeBob SquarePants {{Asteroidea-stub