Asteropseidae

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Family: Asteropseidae

Group: Marine Invertebrate, Species

Scientific NameCommon NameSummary
Dermasterias imbricataLeather starThe leather star is an abundant animal at low tide. Large numbers of individuals are typically seen along the rocks of breakwaters, cliff faces, and other steep shorelines. Sometimes, there are so many exposed at low tide that people claim to be able to detect their odd garlic smell a hundred yards away.

One individual of the commensal worm Red-banded commensal scaleworm (Arctonoe vittata) can almost always be found on the underside of this incredibly smooth, slippery yet stiff starfish.

This species feeds on sea anemones, sponges, dead things at the bottom, and some sea cucumbers, but they are most interestingly known as a predator of colonial ascidians.