''Pentaceraster cumingi'', sometimes known as the Panamic cushion star, Cortez starfish or knobby star (a name also used for other species), is a species of

starfish 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 ...

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 ...

. It is found in warmer parts of the East Pacific (

Gulf of California The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...

to northwest

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, including offshore islands like the Galápagos) and in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. In

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

this species has been collected from the Pearl Islands (depth 8 m), Gulf of Panama, and off

Coiba Island Coiba is the largest island in Central America, with an area of , off the Pacific coast of the Panamanian province of Chiriquí. It is part of the Tolé District of that province. History Coiba separated from continental Panama about 12,000 to ...

Gulf of Chiriqui A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies ...

. It reaches a diameter of about .

Distribution and habitat

''P. cumingi'' is found along the coasts of the

Tropical Eastern Pacific The Tropical Eastern Pacific is one of the twelve marine realms that cover the coastal waters and continental shelves of the world's oceans. The Tropical Eastern Pacific extends along the Pacific Coast of the Americas, from the southern tip of the ...

and beyond, ranging as far north as the Gulf of CaliforniaSolís-Marín F.A. et al. (2013) The Echinoderms of Mexico: Biodiversity, Distribution and Current State of Knowledge. In: Alvarado J., Solis-Marin F. (eds) Echinoderm Research and Diversity in Latin America. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg and as far south as the coast of northern Peru. It inhabits the shallow sub-tidal zone, usually in rocky terrain.

Diet

''P. cumingi'' primarily feeds by scavenging and through a carnivorous diet. Its diet consists of ocean floor algae, microscopic organisms, and seagrass. On occasion, ''P. cumingi'' has been known to eat other echinoderms.

Reproduction

''P. cumingi'' reproduces either sexually or asexually. It is gonochoric (having separate sexes). Asexual reproduction, which results in a clonal offspring, occurs by fission, splitting the central disc.

Ornamentation

The skeleton of this species is commonly used for ornamentation and sold as a souvenir in Peru and Mexico. The ''P. cumingi'' population has greatly decreased in Peru because of their use as souvenirs, and ''P. cumingi'' is now considered close to extinction in this country. The population size in Mexico is unknown.

References

External links

* Oreasteridae Fauna of the Pacific Ocean Animals described in 1840 Taxa named by John Edward Gray {{Asteroidea-stub