Pin Cushion Star

Culcita novaeguineae

Habitat & Distribution :  Reef flats and slope, depths of 1 - 20 m, Indo-West Pacific Ocean

Diet : Coral polyps, other echinoderms, encrusting invertebrates, encrusting algae

Size: Diameter of 30 - 40 cm

Lifespan : Up to 20 years

Description

As its name suggests, the pin cushion or cushion star is characterized by its almost globular body and short arms, giving it the appearance of a ball, or a rock. Its upper surface has a wide variation of colors and patterns. Its underside is flat, with five grooves where its short tube feet lie. As juveniles, they appear flatter and more star-shaped. As adults, they only appear more star-shaped when out of water, where it will appear more "deflated".

Behavior

Commonly found on reef flats and slopes with plenty of hard coral cover, solitary or at least widely distanced from each other, they like to hide behind rocks. If they're turned upseide down, they can right themselves up by inflating the upperside and waiting for the wave to turn them right sight up again.

They're corallivorous predators, actively preying on live coral polyps and other encrusting invertebrates.

Reproduction

They can reproduce asexually, by regeneration and cloning and sexually, by spawning. Each spawning period, a female starfish can release up to 7 million little eggs into the water, where fertilization will occur with the sperm released by the male starfish. The result will develop into a planktonic larvae, that will remain near the surface for 18 days before settling on the bottom where it will slowly metamorphoses into a juvenile sea star. It takes about 2 years for it to develop into an adult.

Communication & Perception

They communicate and interact with their environment by way of chemical cues and physical contact. At the end of each arm, the sea star has a rudimentary compound eye that is able to tell dark from light, and sense when a large object is placed in front of it.

Predator

Pufferfish, napoleon fish

Conservation Status: Not Evaluated