Leptasterias pusilla

Leptasterias pusilla is a small, six-rayed sea star.

Leptasterias pusilla
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Asteroidea
Order:	Forcipulatida
Family:	Asteriidae
Genus:	Leptasterias
Species:	L. pusilla
Binomial name
Leptasterias pusilla (Fisher, 1930)

Description

"A dainty little six-rayed seastar with a total arm spread usually under 2 cm."^[1]

Distribution

"The genus Leptasterias originates in the Arctic,"^[2] and within the United States, this species can be found in the middle intertidal zone of rocky shores of central California, including San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties. Leptasterias pusilla is "...generally believed to be the most abundant species in the subgenus [Hexasterias] along the North American Pacific coast from central California to southern Alaska."^[3]

Behavior

Leptasterias pusilla may be quite numerous in the middle intertidal zone of rocky shores, typically moving around on the top of rocks at night after hiding under them during the day.^[1]

Diet

Poikilotherms primarily feed on small gastropods, with only minimal metabolic rate fluctuations in response to changes in ambient temperature.^[4]

Reproduction

The Leptasterias pusilla "...breeding habits are famous." The mother keeps the eggs and larvae in brood clusters around her mouth area until the larvae reach adult form. "Ovigerous females may be found in January and February, with the minute offspring seen in tide pools during February and March."^[1]

See also

• Linckia laevigata

Further reading

• Langstroth, Lovell and Libby (2000). A Living Bay: The Underwater World of Monterey Bay. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22149-4.
• McEdward, Larry and Benjamin G. Miner. "Larval and life-cycle patterns in echinoderms." Can. J. Zool. 2001;79(7):1125–1170.
• Worley, et al. "Seasonal patterns of ganietogenesis in a North Atlantic brooding asteroid, Leptasterias tenera." Biol. Bull. August 1977;153:237-253.