Asterias rubens

Rudolf Svensen Spawning Common Starfish (Asterias rubens).

Darryl Mayer I caught one in the act last year about this time too. Mine was arched up more tho'.

Cynthia D. Trowbridge very cool

Erling Svensen Even an Asterias rubens looks interesting with +10 dioptre in front of the lens.

Dave Skingsley Some echinoderms from the Isle of Cumbrae - and a squat lobster that I only noticed once I looked at the picture on the big screen (not an uncommon experience when using macro lenses in the wild. Asterias rubens, Psammechinus miliaris and probably Galathea squamifera

Andy Horton Psammechinus miliaris : just checking my spelling ???

Andy Horton It is uncommon intertidally off Sussex. http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=4216 Found in the colder months. February is likely to be best.

Andy Horton Asterias rubens

Andy Horton 4 June 2012 A rockpooling visit to Worthing Pier on a low (0.4 metres) spring tide produced a surprise Brittlestar as well as some infrequent summer occurences like two large Velvet Swimming Crabs, Necora puber, a handful of small Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, in winkle shells, a single Common Starfish Asterias rubens, one Dahlia Anemone, Urticina felina, one small Long-legged Spider Crab Macropodia rostrata, and one sub-adult 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela. A Greater Pipefish, Syngnathus acus, was rescued from the beak of a Herring Gull. Daisy Anemones, Cereus pedunculatus, were frequently found in chocolate brown hues. Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, were common as usual with frequent Beadlet Anemones Actinia equina. Full Rockpooling Report http://www.glaucus.org.uk/LancingBeach2008.htm#4June (This came out like a list: I must be a bit tired.)

David Hill David Hill Andy - went on a Bioblitz on Saturday at Cemlyn Bay (north coast of Anglesey) and today rockpooling at Llanddulas (north Wales coast) - lots of interesting new finds (for me anyway, fairly new to marine life). Cemlyn included Eel, 5-Bearded Rockling, Butterfish, Lobster and Great Scallop - a few pics here www.flickr.com/photos/natureseye/sets/72157630042354134/ and list of species here http://www.cofnod.org.uk/BioBlitz?ID=6 At Llanddullas this afternoon lots of Sea Gooseberries and a few Pipefish, pics to follow.

Andy Horton The Greater Pipefish did not look injured when collected, but I do not think it will survive. The gulls catch these pipefish occasionally and drop them in gardens.

Joe Bater that would have been a great UW macro photography day!

Andy Horton Not so good on the photography front. Pier causes shadows and low light. Capture and return. I hope to get a few shots later. I was terrestrial and the critters were under rocks. More though. The young rockpoolers (8 yo) are well informed now.

David Hill http://www.flickr.com/photos/natureseye/7340913120/

Andy Horton Amphipod. The Cornish coast is so much better than Sussex. 7 May 2012 A short trip to Kingston Beach on a cool evening low spring tide produced a sparse mobile fauna including two small Common Starfish Asterias rubens on the underside of the larger boulders with a chiton Acanthochitona crinita and a Sting Winkle Ocenebra erinacea as noteworthy discoveries. One small Edible Crab, Cancer pagurus, and at least one Hairy Crab, Pilumnus hirtellus, was noted with small prawns only in the pools. Juvenile (first year) Blennies, Lipophrys pholis, were frequently found under boulders on the estuarine (west of the Lifeboat Station) part of the beach. http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Kingston2008.htm

Andy Horton The blue starfish is Asterias rubens

Erling Svensen Does any body knows what this is?

Marco Faasse Tubefeet? Never seen this big :-)

Erling Svensen Yes, Marco. Correct. From which species?

Marco Faasse Don't know. Guess Asterias rubens.

Erling Svensen Close. Marthastarias glacialis from yesterdays dive.

Marco Faasse Very nice you make pictures of subjects never seen in that way before!

Erling Svensen This tiny seastar was very nice. On the kelp at Stavanger, Norway.

David Kipling That's very pretty, would make a great Christmas decoration to hang on a tree Do you know what species this is and whether it stays as cute as thus when it grows up (assuming it does ever get bigger than this)?

Erling Svensen It must be the Asterias rubens, David. So it change quite much when growing.

David Kipling Still soooo cute!

Becky Hitchin One of my friends found a very similar juvenile Ast rubens the other day, and just as cute!

Glynn Phillips Any ideas?

Wendy Northway bit of common starfish?

Glynn Phillips Wasn't sure

Kate Lock yip it is the end of a starfish leg - Asterias rubens!

Derek Nadin Glynn Phillips was it still alive?

Glynn Phillips Not sure mate it looked healthy but it was dark 20+ Mtrs it looked like a nudi in the water

René Weterings Details of a Common Starfish "Asterias rubens" Eastern Scheldt, The Netherlands Olympus E-PL2 with Olympus housing PT-EP03 Lens: M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm F2.8 Macro Wet lens: Subsee +10 Camera settings: f/18 1/180s ISO200 Strobes: Inon Z-240 + Inon D-2000 (both type 2)

Becky Hitchin A bit less scientific - when I was diving under Brighton Pier last November, there were obviously a huge amount of Asterias rubens. But an awful lot of them were predated and had 1-3 arms, some really just a one arm stub with some tiny projections for the starts of new legs. What generally eats Asterias?

Christopher L. Mah I'll have to do some homework-but other asteriids are eaten by seabirds, otters and/or crabs.

Becky Hitchin Hmmm, oh, I think I remember someone saying that get big spider crabs under the pier. Maybe they were the culprits.

Christian Skauge Just to get us started: Several years ago, I came across this Asterias rubens with a strange appendix. At the time I thought it to be some sort of jellyfish, possibly being eaten by the starfish. But looking at it again today, I think it's more likely a part of the echinoderm. Stomach?

Christian Skauge OK, I totally neglected the guidelines for posting already... Will not happen again :-)

Bernard Picton LOL

Bernard Picton We need our own guidelines, not too formal. Some information on location, date, depth, etc. at least though.

Christopher L. Mah so, is the bubble coming out from under the animal or directly through the body wall? Ae there pics from other angles? doesn't look like stomach..perhaps a coelomic outpocketing from a breach in the body wall. Hard to say without a better look..

Christian Skauge Unfortunately I cannot offer a better look - this is the only image I shot. Remember, this was in my early days as an underwater photographer and I never stopped to think about what I actually was seeing. IMO it is coming through the body wall...

Christian Skauge I agree, Bernard - so here are my data: Tjøme (south of Oslo), Norway, 27.03.2005. Depth < 12 meters. The starfish was maybe 4" across.

René Weterings Details of a Common Starfish "Asterias rubens" Eastern Scheldt, The Netherlands Olympus E-PL2 with Olympus housing PT-EP03 Lens: M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm F2.8 Macro Wet lens: Subsee +10 Camera settings: f/18 1/180s ISO200 Strobes: Inon Z-240 + Inon D-2000 (both type 2)

René Weterings Details of a Common Starfish "Asterias rubens" Eastern Scheldt, The Netherlands Olympus E-PL2 with Olympus housing PT-EP03 Lens: M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm F2.8 Macro Wet lens: Subsee +10 Camera settings: f/18 1/180s ISO200 Strobes: Inon Z-240 + Inon D-2000 (both type 2)

Ruth Sharratt Hi, I've posted some pics from the Menai Strait. I hope you like them. Amazing amount of life, lots of sponge, (including loads of purse sponges), hydroids, dahlia anemones and asterias rubens. I think the tubularia indivisa is at an early stage in its development. I recognise the nudi, but can't find its name. This is the first time I dived the Strait this arly in the season. In many ways, very different from latest in the year. But so cold...... I couldn't feel the shutter towards the end. I really need thicker gloves. Ruth Sharratt

Bomber Harris ok starter for ten.... what sort of starfish is this and for an extra 5 points whats its latin name :)

Mandy Knott Anyone who wants a good website to find it on try: http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/index.html

Bomber Harris errrrm beats me.... unless i have a picture i can compair it against im useless :(

Bomber Harris dawn.... that would be the pic of the white starfish under the rock... its the only starfish pic i took :)

Mandy Knott Start with what kind of a creature it is - ie. what group (or phylum) does it fit into. That narrows it down and then you can go into the list on the left hand side of the habitas website - loads of photos there to compare it with. I've had a look and you'll definitely find it there!

Mandy Knott If you're not sure what phylum it is - Google 'starfish' to get you started. :)

Bomber Harris so i recon it is Asterias rubens Linnaeus :)

Mandy Knott You're in the right department! Have a look at Marthasterias glacialis and see whether you think it's Asterias or Marthasterias. If you read the description about the number and arrangement of spines that might help decide. Just so you know - the Linnaeus bit refers to the person who first identified and classified it - in both cases it was Linnaeus in 1758. This is Carl Linnaeus an important biologist from 18th century. His name crops up rather a lot but you can leave that bit out when giving them their latin name. Hope this helps!

Bomber Harris hmmm could be the Marthasterias.... if i zoom in on the pic i see Large spines forming three main rows along each arm. White spines with purple tips.

Mandy Knott Way to go!

Bomber Harris dawn.....errr dont think so or Mandy wouldnt be able to see the pic

Wendy Northway I can't see the picture either, either that or the psychic link has broken....