The Pink Star or "short-spined star" (Pisaster brevispinus) looks very similar to the Ochre Sea Star, but the spines on the star's back are much less noticeable. Pink Stars eat barnacles, mussels, tube-dwelling worms, and rock-boring clams. The tube feet (the white projections on underside of arms), used for locomotion and capturing prey, are very noticeable in the photo below.
We have found Pink Stars occasionally at Secret Beach (milepost 345.5 on Hwy. 101), and all but the one in the photo below have been much larger than Ochre Stars....this one looked like a baby.
Bryan has the star turned over on its back. The yellowish lines on the underside of each arm are its tube feet...hundreds of them.
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Nice post, well put together. Do you guys have much trouble with invasive sea star species over there in Oregon?
Posted by: Greg Vinall | September 01, 2016 at 10:27 PM