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)
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Oursin diadème des Antilles
(Diadema antillarum)
(Diadema antillarum)
