[Originally posted to the Moorea Coral Reef LTER (MCR LTER) Marine Life Encyclopedia]
Pincushion Star
(Culcita
novaeguineae)
Photo by Gerick Bergsma
Cushion stars host a number of symbiotic
creatures, including Periclimenes shrimp, which live on the underside of
its arms, and Carapus fish which live in its digestive track and enter
and exit through its mouth.
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Pin Cushion Stars are common throughout the Indo-Pacific, including India, Thailand, South China Sea, Australia, New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Hawaii and French Polynesia. |
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Shallow reefs, reef flats and lagoons, from 0-30m. |
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Detritus, Corals and Anemones. |
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Cushion Stars, like other seastars, feed by extruding their stomachs from their mouths and digesting their prey externally. |
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- Gerick Bergsma's PhD Research - Moorea Biocode Database |
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