''Choriaster'' is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus in the family

Oreasteridae The Oreasteridae are a family of sea stars in the class Asteroidea. Description and characteristics This family contains many species of regular starfishes with usually 5 arms around a stiff, convex and often brightly colored body. Whereas som ...

containing the single species ''Choriaster granulatus'' commonly known as the granulated sea star. Other common names include big-plated sea star and doughboy starfish. This species is harmless to humans.

Description

''Choriaster granulatus'' is a large sea star with a convex body and five short arms. The arms have rounded tips, making it appear "chubby", leading to one of its

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s being "the doughboy starfish". Relatively large in comparison with other sea stars, its maximum radius is about . It is most commonly pale pink in colour with brown papillae radiating out from the centre but can also be colours ranging from grey to yellow and even red.

Location

This species is found in numerous tropical waters, including: *

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

Choriaster granulatus, granular sea star
/ref> *

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region *

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

Habitat

''Choriaster granulatus'' prefers shallow waters ranging from deep and above average temperatures of . ''Choriaster granulatus'' has been found individually or in groups along coral reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region. It has also been found in the Red Sea, Fiji, and Great Barrier Reef. The sandy habitat where it tends to live is characterized by rubble slopes and detritus. They have also been found among corals and sponges.

Diet

''Choriaster granulatus'' is a carnivore that, like other sea stars, has its mouth on the underside of its body. Food is digested and absorbed outside of its body by forcing its stomach out of its mouth onto the food. Its food includes small invertebrates such as coral polyps as well as

carrion Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures, c ...

Life cycle and reproduction

Sea star embryos hatch into

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...

ic larvae before becoming juvenile sea stars with five arms. The

Asteroidea Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish ...

class of organisms reproduce use both asexually and sexually.

Threats

The arms of ''Choriaster granulatus'' can become deformed when small parasitic limpets attach to their underside. They are also threatened by habitat loss due to

ocean acidification Ocean acidification is the reduction in the pH value of the Earth’s ocean. Between 1751 and 2021, the average pH value of the ocean surface has decreased from approximately 8.25 to 8.14. The root cause of ocean acidification is carbon dioxid ...

which can lead to

coral bleaching Coral bleaching is the process when corals become white due to various stressors, such as changes in temperature, light, or nutrients. Bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel the zooxanthellae (dinoflagellates that are commonly referred to as alg ...

References

External links

* Oreasteridae Animals described in 1842 Asteroidea genera Monotypic echinoderm genera {{Asteroidea-stub