''Astrosarkus idipi'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
sea star
Starfish or sea stars are Star polygon, star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class (biology), class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to brittle star, ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to ...
s in the family Oreasteridae. It is the
sole species in the genus ''Astrosarkus''.
[ It is sometimes referred to as a "Pumpkin sea star".
]
Description and characteristics
It is a big sea star with a subpentagonal and very plump body. It is quite recognizable because of its bright orange color, and globally displays the color, texture and size of a pumpkin. It is thus a very big star, measuring approximately 30 cm in diameter for 10 cm high. The lower face is white dirtied with orange, and crossed by 5 ambulacral grooves. Inside the body, the skeleton is strikingly reduced: the main part of the mass of the star is muscular.[Christopher L. Mah,]
Astrosarkus: Discovering The Great Pumpkin Starfish ! First video of this species alive !
, on ''The Echinoblog'', 12 october 2009.
Habitat and repartition
This sea star lives in the sub-reef zone, between 67 and 200 m deep, and seems rather widely distributed in the Indo-pacific, From Reunion island to Samoa. However, it is still poorly known, and only 6 specimens have been collected to this day.
In popular culture
Along with some other deep-sea creatures, this sea star has been used in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
as a model for a sushi-shaped gachapon toy.
References
Oreasteridae
Animals described in 2003
Monotypic echinoderm genera
Asteroidea genera
{{Asteroidea-stub