Starfish ID

[drbill]

Dove Farnsworth Bank and Ship Rock the past two days. Spotted a starfish at the first site that I wasn't familiar with (some biologist I am, eh?). It is in the lower left of the image collage here. Yesterday at Ship Rock I saw what appeared to be a young sea star of this species, but will have to review the video. Since these are both colder water Catalina sites, I'm wondering if this is a colder water species. Trying to remember if I've seen one like it in the northern Channel Islands.

Can anyone give me a quick ID? It wasn't in any of the field guides I looked at.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I saw a few of those yesterday at Eagle Reef. It's some type of Linkia, related to the Fragile Star. I havent found the correct genus yet. My homework assignment for today.

 

[drbill]

Let me know what you find out, Phil. Interesting that they are appearing in various spots. The presumed juvenile that I filmed on Ship Rock yesterday had six arms but appeared superficially to be the same species based strictly on morphology.

I was on the King Neptune at Ship Rock for the first two dives and Bird Rock for the third. What boat were you on at Eagle Reef?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Hilary and I went on the Pacific Star for their 10 to 10 lobster trip. Not a single legal size critter was spotted by either of us. We didn't exactly go to the hot lobster spots though.

 

[drbill]

I haven't been seeing too many legal sized lobster myself, but then I don't do any bug hunting. My friends that do say they are finding them at greater depths this year. Did film a number of them in several legal commercial traps at Church Rock a few weekends ago.

 

[JustinW]

Looks like a linkia to me also. Seems to me I have seen some like while in Cabo. Guess I'll have to go back down there soon and give you a positive ID.

 

[drbill]

Just found out from Chris on diver.net/bbs that the starfish is indeed "new" to science in that it is known but has not been scientifically described and named. A researcher at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History is working up the description. For the time being it has been given the common name "red spotted sea star." Interesting that there would be several sightings of it in the past few days off Catalina! This is the third species "new" to science that I've "discovered" before it had been described. This kind of stuff makes my diving much more interesting.