Luidia sarsi Düben & Koren, in Düben, 1845

Luidia sarsi

Description: This starfish has five gently tapering arms and is sand coloured. The body and arms have a velvety texture and there is a conspicuous band of long white spines along the edges of the arms. These spines arise in vertical series of three, rarely four on the single row of marginal plates. Up to 20cm across.

Habitat: Usually found on muddy sediment, in deeper water (20m+). Most active at night, burying itself beneath the sand by day.

Distribution: A more northerly distribution than Luidia ciliaris, occurring from Norway to the Mediterranean but in deep colder water in the south.

Similar Species: Luidia ciliaris is very similar but has seven arms.

Key Identification Features:

• Velvety texture to body.
• Long marginal spines on arms in groups of three.

Distribution Map: NBN map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

WoRMS: Species record : World Register of Marine Species.

iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database