Pycnopodia Helianthoides Research Paper

Pycnopodia Helianthoides, which is known as the sunflower seastar, is an extraordinary star fish found in the northeast Pacific. It is one of the largest sea stars in the world, and has a maximum arm-span of 1m (Lambert, 2001). This intertidal organism has many amazing traits that most other sea stars do not possess. I will discuss these unique characteristics throughout my essay.

Sunflower seastars have 16 to 24 limbs and are radially symmetrical. It is also the heaviest known sea star on the planet weighing about 5kg. Their arms can grow up to 40 cm long and they are around 80 cm in diameter. The colours can vary giving the seastar a beautiful appearance. They range from reddish-orange to yellow, violet brown, or slatey purple (Aherne and Benhnke, 1991). They are predatory,usually feeding on sea urchins, snails, clams, and other small organisms. The sunflower seastar inhabits low sub tidal and intertidal areas with an abundance of seaweed or kelp (Esquivel, 2003). This particular sea star can move more rapidly because it possesses a very flexible body due to the aboral skeletal plates being loosely connected to each other (Lawrence, 1987) …show more content…
These suctions cups are extremely strong. Strong enough that the suction cups can break away from the seastar and stay clung on the Rock, a useful and interesting trait of the sunflower seastar (Telnack,