Roberto Pillon, Italien
Info
(Philippi, 1837)
Starfishes of genus Astropecten live on mobile seabed (sandy, muddy or gravel seabed) and they remain largely buried under sediment during the day. During the late afternoon and the night starfishes go out to hunt mainly bivalve molluscs, which are their favourite preys.
Young specimens of Astropecten platyacanthus sometimes can be confused with Astropecten jonstoni for the appearance and the colour, but it is always easy to distinguish them by very different superomarginal plates and superomarginal spines.
Synonyms:
Asterias platyacantha Philippi, 1837 (synonym)
Astropecten flanaticus Lorenz, 1860 (A variety of A. platyacanthus)
Astropecten pedicellifera Doderlein, 1917
Starfishes of genus Astropecten live on mobile seabed (sandy, muddy or gravel seabed) and they remain largely buried under sediment during the day. During the late afternoon and the night starfishes go out to hunt mainly bivalve molluscs, which are their favourite preys.
Young specimens of Astropecten platyacanthus sometimes can be confused with Astropecten jonstoni for the appearance and the colour, but it is always easy to distinguish them by very different superomarginal plates and superomarginal spines.
Synonyms:
Asterias platyacantha Philippi, 1837 (synonym)
Astropecten flanaticus Lorenz, 1860 (A variety of A. platyacanthus)
Astropecten pedicellifera Doderlein, 1917
