Sunflower Sea Star

About The critically endangered sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) is among the largest sea stars in the world and is the only species of its genus. Adults have 16 to 24 limbs with a maximum arm span of 1 meter (about 3.3 feet). The underside of their arms (called tube feet) helps them crawl across the ocean floor. They also have light sensitive eyespots on the tips of their arms, to help the sea stars find food. The color of the sunflower sea star ranges widely, but it is commonly known for being bright orange. You might notice that sea stars have a bumpy surface, these spines are called Pedicellaria. They are pincher-like organs used to clean the surface of the skin. The sunflower sea star has lost more than 90% of their population since 2013. This is mainly because of sea star wasting disease. The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a federal petition in August of 2021 for the sunflower sea star to be listed as threatened or endangered. It is now listed as criti...