The spiny starfish

spiny starfish

Scientific name	Marthasterias glacialis
Descriptor	Linnaeus
Year of description	1758
IUCN category (World)	NE
Family	Asteriidae
Genus	Marthasterias

Introduction

Marthasterias glacialis, commonly known as spiny starfish , is a salt water echinoderm.

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Who is it?

Morphology

Size

22 - 70 cm
Longevity

13 year

Size

22 - 70 cm
Longevity

13 year

How to recognize the spiny starfish ?

The spiny starfish measures between 22 and 70 cm. This echinoderm is unicolore with a predominantly jaune, orange, blanc, beige and gris body.

Behaviour & Life cycle

diet

carnivorous
Sociability

solitary
territorial

No
Way of living

diurnal

The spiny starfish is an echinoderm solitary naturally found on the bottom. This species is carnivorous .

Although the spiny starfish is non-territorial, it is sometimes aggressive towards other species.

Reproduction

Reproduction

ovipare qui pond en eau libre

Fertilization

External
Active sexual selection

No

The spiny starfish is an echinoderm ovipare qui pond en eau libre.

Harmless species

This species does not represent any particular threats to humans when encountered in its natural environment.

Where to find it?

Origin

Mediterranean Sea Temperate Eastern Atlantic Ocean Eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean

Conservation status of populations (IUCN)

World : NE

Where to see this species?

What is its habitat?

Natural environment characteristics

Temperature

14 - 19 °C
Depth

0 - 180 m

Biotope presentation

The spiny starfish is most often found at a depth between 0m and 180m. However, it is not impossible to find this species at other depths.

Species of the same biotope

To go further

Species of the same family

To read on the web

Sources & Contributions

Participation & Validation

The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.

Adrien Falzon

Translation

Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.