cushion star
Culcita novaeguineae
Large cushion shaped seastar with reduced arm lengths. Brightly coloured with irregular oval patches of contrasting colours.
Morphology
Massive seastar, pentagonal to almost circular in outline, pincushion shaped, with a thick skin, colour variable, cream, green or brown with patches of red, brown or green
Behaviour
Feeds on corals, echinoids and substrate microbial film
Method of reproduction
Sexual
Habitat
Marine
Found on offshore coral reef flats and rubble bottoms 0-30 metres depth.
Distribution
Common in tropical Indo-Pacific. North western & eastern Australia, including Timor Sea
Life Cycle
Separate sexes, about 2 years to reach adult size
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Subphylum: | Asterozoa |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Superorder: | Valvatacea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Oreasteridae |
| Genus: | Culcita |
| Species: | novaeguineae |
| Name Published Year: | 1842 |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name Authorship: | Müller & Troschel |
| Commercial Impact: | None |
| Conservation Assessment: | Least Concern |
Cite this page
Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/Culcita-novaeguineae
Accessed 26 Apr 2025
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