Solasteridae

Common Sun Star (Cross papposus )

The sun star ( Solasteridae ) are showy, many-armed, very large starfish. They live mainly on the coasts of northern, cold seas.

The common sun star (cross papposus ), which can have 8 to 14 arms, reached a diameter of 40 centimeters. He lives in the North Atlantic, from Greenland to the North Sea and western Baltic Sea, and on the coasts of Alaska in depth from 0 to 1200 m. He often eats young Common starfish (Asterias rubens ). The Purple Sun star ( Solaster endeca ) also lives in the North Atlantic, but only up to a depth of 450 meters. Stimpson Sun Star ( Solaster stimpsoni ) lives in the North Pacific from the Bering Strait to California. He reached a diameter of half a meter and loves to eat cucumbers.

Sun stars are highly variable in coloration and in a way can yellow, reddish, purple, brown and other colors occur.

Genera

• Cross Aster Müller & Troschel, 1840
• Cuenotaster Thiéry in Koehler, 1920
• Heterozonias Fisher, 1910
• Laetmaster Fisher, 1908
• Lophaster Verrill, 1878
• Paralophaster Fisher, 1940
• Rhipidaster Sladen, 1889
• Seria Rochester Jangoux, 1984
• Solaster Forbes, 1839
• Xenorias Fisher, 1913