Sealife guideThe giant basket starAstrophyton muricatum
Last updated on 03/30/2024 at 12:48 AM
Taxonomy
- Common name: Giant basket star
- French name: Gorgonocéphale géant
- Spanish name: Cancer de mar,estrella canasta gigante
- Scientific name: Astrophyton muricatum (Lamarck, 1816)
- Family name: Gorgonocephalidae
- Order name: Euryalida
- Class name: Ophiuroidea
Geographic range
The giant basket star lives in the warm tropical and subtropical waters of the eastern Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. It is particularly present in the Caribbean sea and along the Florida coast.

The giant basket star with its arms fully extended at nighttime
Tips for observing
The giant basket star keeps its arms folded during the daytime and extends them fully at nightfall.
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