Solaster dawsoni

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Dawson's sun star:
Dawson's sun star (Solaster dawsoni): Similar to Stimpson's sun star (Solaster stimpsoni), which usually has a black dorsal stripe running from the central disk, out over each arm. A definitive characteristic is that S. Dawsoni has long, individually defined ambulacral spines, whereas those of S. stimpsoni are shorter, and terminate a common structure (ambulacral spines are found along the edges of the space in which the tube feet are located).

There are two more species which may be confused with this one:

Northern Pacific Sun Star (Solaster endeca) has arms that are "puffy" so that the armpits appear creased. It is primarily a subtidal species. It tends to be orange-tan in color.

Solaster paxillatus is very, very similar to Solaster dawsoni. It tends to have proportionately longer arms, and the spines along the edges of the furled-in "gutter" of the arms tend to be organized in groups of four, rather than three as in this species. Solaster paxillatus is a subtidal species that has been observed on longline gear off Sitka.

This starfish is cannibalistic and a fierce predator. Its primary prey is Solaster stimpsoni, but it also is reputed to be a major predator of Leather star (Dermasterias imbricata). It is regularly found in the shallow subtidal at negative tides, usually among large rocks covered with kelp in areas that aren't exposed to heavy surf or siltation.






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