BY,

K.LAVANYA
DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
INTRODUCTION
 Asterias is commonly known by the name of starfish
 It occur about 150 species of Asterias.
 Recently it is renamed as sea star
 All of which have different geographical distribution.
 It is found in North European coast, North Atlantic
coast,Gulf of Mexico
 Some other common sea stars are Pentaceros, Astropecten,
Asterina, Heliaster, Solaster, Luidia, etc.
SYSTEMATIC POSTION
 Phylum : Echinodermata
 Subphylum : Elevtherozoa
 Class : Asteridea
 Order : Forciphulata
 Genus : Asterias
 Species : Rubens
HABIT AND HABITAT OF ASTERIAS
 Asterias is exclusively marine, bottom dwelling or benthonic animal
 Asterias forbesi is found on hard, rocky, sandy or soft bottom
 Other species have been found to prefer rocky sea bottoms.
 It avoid direct sunlight, many individuals may gather at some place
for the purpose of protection
 Most of them are nocturnal, remain quiet in day time and become
active during night.
 They move by crawling on the bottom, mostly at a rather slow rate.
 Many species of Asterias exhibit various types of biological
relationships such as parasitism and commensalism
EXTERNAL FEATURES OF
ASTERIAS
Shape Size colour
Radially 10-20 cm
symmetrical diameter
No of arms
7-14 arms Yellow, orange
solaster brown and purple
> 40 arms
Heliaster
 Oral Aboral
surface surface
Mouth Anus

Ambulacral
Madreporite
grooves

Tube feet or
Spines
podia

Ambulacral Papulae or
spines gills

Sense organs Pedicallariae

CHARACTERISTICS OF STARFISH
 Spines or spicules covering the to surface
 Hundreds of tube feet which help feeding and movement
 Hard plates under their skin intead of a backbone
LIFE CYCLE AND DEVELOPEMENT
FEATURES
 It plays a very impactful role in the ecosystem.
 They are considered as keystone species that consumes the
organism which lacks their natural predators.
 They lack blood and brain, even then they can digest their
food easily outside their body.