Sea Stars

(Oregon to Southeast Alaska)

Click on photo to enlarge. Scale line in photo equals 1cm unless otherwise specified.

Notations refer to how often they can be found intertidally by beachgoers in the Northwest plus
their full habitat range. Some are more frequently found subtidally or in other parts of their range.

Amphiuridae

Amphiodia occidentalis (Lyman, 1860)
Long-rayed Brittle Star
common, south California to central Alaska

Solasteridae

Crossaster papposus (Linnaeus, 1767)
Rose Star
occasionally found, north Washington to
north Alaska, circumpolar, NE Asia
& northmost Atlantic

Asteriidae

Evasterias troschelii (Stimpson, 1862)
Mottled Star
very common, central California to
north Alaska & Siberia

Asteropseidae

Dermasterias imbricata (Grube, 1857)
Leather Star
fairly common, north Mexico to central Alaska

Ophiactidae

Ophiopholis aculeata (Linnaeus, 1767)
Daisy Brittle Star
occasionally found, southern California to
north Alaska & circumpolar

Goniasteridae

Mediaster aequalis Stimpson, 1857
Vermilion Star
infrequently found, north Mexico to Alaska

Henricia pumila
Eernisse, M. Strathmann & R. Strathmann, 2010
Dwarf Mottled Henricia
occasionally found, especially to the north
Puget Sound, WA to south Alaska, could possibly
extend further south

close-up of top of arm close-up of tube feet

Pisaster brevispinus (Stimpson, 1857)
Giant Pink Star
occasionally found, southern California to south Alaska
2nd largest northwest intertidal species

Orthasterias koehleri (de Loriol, 1897)
Rainbow Star
occasionally found, north Mexico to north Alaska

Pisaster ochraceus (Brandt, 1835)
Ochre Star or Purple Star
very common, north Mexico to central Alaska

Leptasterias hexactis (Stimpson, 1862) eating a Nucella
Six Ray Star
common, north Washington to north Alaska

Asterinidae

Patiria miniata (Brandt, 1835)
Bat Star
north Mexio to south Alaska

juvenile

Solaster dawsoni Verrill, 1880
Morning Sun Star
infrequently found, central California
to north Alaska, China, Japan & Siberia

Pterasteridae

Pteraster tesselatus Ives, 1888
Slime Star or Cushion Star
only found subtidally, central California to north Alaska & Japan

Solaster endeca (Linnaeus, 1771)
Northern Sunstar
occasionally found, north Washington to
north Alaska, circumboreal, northmost Atlantic

largest and fastest sea star in the world close-up of arm underwater

Pycnopodia helianthoides (Brandt, 1835)
Sunflower Star
very common, north Mexico to north Alaska

Echinasteridae

juvenile "shouldered" form is likely
a different species

Henricia leviuscula (Stimpson, 1857)
Blood Star
common, north Mexico to north Alaska, Japan & Siberia

Solaster stimpsoni Verrill, 1880
Striped Sunstar
occasionally found, central California to north Alaska