Dorsal ( left) and ventral views: Arms (rays) are approximately 5 cm in length.
| Abundance: very common | Distribution:
most common mid-shelf (20-30m) also found at shelf-edge (100m) |
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Dorsal ( left) and ventral views: Arms (rays) are approximately 5 cm in length.
This species has
characteristic deep blue or purple coloration of the dorsal granulose paxillae,
with orange marginal plates. A fringe of paired white spines surrounds each
arm.
Ventral
views, showing numerous ambulacral spines and tube feet within the five ambulacral
grooves (left). The stellate mouth opening (right) has a set of 5 spine-covered
jaws.
The
madreporite (just above central disk) may be pale orange and slightly raised.
This feature has pores that connect to the seastar's water vascular system.
Left:
Astropecten articulatus is one of the most abundant seastar species
on the continental
shelf
off the
southeast U.S. coast.
(These specimens were returned to the sea.)
Right: Many
individuals can have arms as long as 9 cm.