#5019 · 🪼 jellyfish, starfish, worms & co

Ochre Sea Star

Pisaster ochraceus

🪼 Jellyfish, starfish, worms & co 📍 outside Europe

9 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

Pisaster ochraceus , generally known as the purple sea star , ochre sea star , or ochre starfish , is a common starfish found among the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Identified as a keystone species, Pisaster is considered an important indicator for the health of the intertidal zone.

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 85,478iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
85,478 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named by Johann Friedrich von Brandt in 1835 (191 years ago).