Dermasterias imbricata

Leather star: for more photos, see Sitka Nature Photo Gallery for Dermasterias imbricata

Leather star (Dermasterias imbricata): The 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.

Local Notes

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References

Weblinks

• WoRMS page for Dermasterias imbricata

• WoRMS Page for Dermasterias imbricata
• Search Arctos Database for Dermasterias imbricata (Southeast only)
• Search Arctos Database for Dermasterias imbricata (entire database)
• Encyclopedia of Life search for Dermasterias imbricata
• iNaturalist Observations for Dermasterias imbricata in Southeast Alaska

Other References

• Lambert 2000

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  Leather star (Dermasterias imbricata)

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