Crossaster papposus (Linnaeus, 1767)

Description

Crossaster papposus is a starfish of up to 35 cm in diameter. Its body has the shape of a broad disc surrounded by a variable number of tapered arms, between 8 to 16 but more frequently from 10 to 12. The upper surface is covered by short visible spines. The disc is orange, red or brown with some scattered white spots. The bases of the arms are often white-spotted and broad white bands may cross the arms. It lives on rocks or sandy bottoms and feeds on other Echinoderms such as Asterias rubens.

Distribution

Crossaster papposus is found from 1 m to depths up to 1200 m, in the Atlantic Ocean from Greenland down to the coasts of Brittany, in the English Channel, the North Sea and in the Western-Baltic Sea.

How to cite this page

Bay-Nouailhat A., March 2006, Description de Crossaster papposus, [En ligne] https://www.mer-littoral.org/uk/30/crossaster-papposus.php, consultée le 21 juillet 2026.