Heliaster solaris
Heliaster solaris | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Echinodermata |
Class: | Asteroidea |
Order: | Forcipulatida |
Family: | Heliasteridae |
Genus: | Heliaster |
Species: | H. solaris
|
Binomial name | |
Heliaster solaris A. H. Clark, 1920
|
Heliaster solaris commonly known as 24-rayed sunstar is a possibly extinct
Description
Heliaster solaris had 22 to 24 cylindrical and elongated more or less distinctly banded rays which were tapering at the ends. They were one third longer than the diameter of the body. The dorsal rows of the spines were longer and more compressed. The spines, pedicellariae, and the madreporic plate were light yellowish. It hasn’t been seen in the wild since 1983. The Heliaster Solaris is poorly-understood and rarely documented species of sea star. The 24-rayed sunstar may be synonymous with another species in the Heliaster species complex that lives in the east Pacific. The 24-rayed sunstar, also known as Heliaster solaris, can grow up to 3 inches long
Taxonomy
This species was first mentioned by
Hunting
Heliaster solaris hunts by catching food as it floats or chasing it down. The 24-rayed sunstar's or Heliaster solaris tube feet, spines, and pedicellariae are sensitive to touch and chemicals. The tube feet at the tips of the rays are particularly sensitive to chemicals, allowing the Heliaster solaris to detect odors, such as food. The Heliaster solaris also has eyespots at the ends of its arms, each containing 80–200 ocelli. Like other
Protection
Heliaster solaris have
Lifecycle and Reproduction
Members of the class Asteroidea (including Heliaster solaris) exhibit both asexual (regeneration and clonal) and sexual (gonochoric) means of reproduction. Life cycle: Embryos hatch into planktonic
Extinction
In the early 1980s the Galápagos Islands were affected by the
References
- John Edward Gray: Mr. J. E. Gray's Synopsis of the Genera and Species of Starfish In: Annals and Magazine of Natural History Volume 6, 1840. p. 180
- Austin Hobart Clark: A New Name for Heliaster multiradiatus (Gray). In: Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 1920. p. 183
- Graham J. Edgar et al.: El Niño, grazers and fisheries interact to greatly elevate extinction risk for Galapagos marine species In: