Sealife guideThe Starfish classThe taxonomy of marine species
Explore the taxonomy of marine echinoderms with a dedicated focus on starfish and sea urchins !
The class Asteroidea, commonly known as starfish, includes more than 1,600 known species. These marine animals can reach over one meter in span with their arms fully extended and typically have five arms or a multiple of five, with the number potentially varying due to regeneration after an arm is lost. Their skeleton is made up of adjacent but not fused calcareous plates.
Blue spiny starfish
(Coscinasterias tenuispina)
(Coscinasterias tenuispina)
Purple sea star
(Pisaster ochraceus)
(Pisaster ochraceus)
Spiny starfish
(Marthasterias glacialis)
(Marthasterias glacialis)
Sunflower sea star
(Pycnopodia helianthoides)
(Pycnopodia helianthoides)
Mosaic sea star
(Plectaster decanus)
(Plectaster decanus)
Red starfish
(Echinaster sepositus)
(Echinaster sepositus)
Bat sea star
(Patiria miniata)
(Patiria miniata)
Biscuit sea star
(Peltaster placenta)
(Peltaster placenta)
Necklace sea star
(Fromia monilis)
(Fromia monilis)
Noduled sea star
(Fromia nodosa)
(Fromia nodosa)
Vermillion sea star
(Mediaster aequalis)
(Mediaster aequalis)
Heavy starfish
(Thromidia catalai)
(Thromidia catalai)
Blue sea star
(Linckia laevigata)
(Linckia laevigata)
Egyptian sea star
(Gomophia egyptiaca)
(Gomophia egyptiaca)
Smooth starfish
(Hacelia attenuata)
(Hacelia attenuata)
Chocolate chip sea star
(Nidorellia armata)
(Nidorellia armata)
Our latestUpdates
Friday, September 5th 2025
The bump-head sunfish
Learn about the bump-head sunfish (Mola alexandrini), the world's heaviest bony fish, its habitat in tropical and temperate oceans, diet of jellyfish, deep-water behavior and record size over 6,000 lbs.
Wednesday, September 3rd 2025
The chocolate chip sea cucumber
The chocolate chip sea cucumber has a massive cylindrical body that is beige in color, covered with a set of dark brown pustules resembling chocolate chips that protrude slightly from the surface, giving it a resemblance to a cookie, hence its french name. It can reach a length of about 12 inches when fully grown.
Monday, September 1st 2025
The red hind grouper
The red hind grouper has a distinctive appearance, usually beige to brown in color, with numerous red or brown spots covering its entire body and the base of its fins. It is often found in the shallow waters of coral reefs and rocky areas, where it hides in crevices and cavities.
Photo of the Day
Mérou croissant de lune
(Variola louti)
(Variola louti)
Copyright © 2007-2025 auxBulles.com - All rights reserved. Legal notices.Photo credits - Our partners