Weird and Wonderful: Don’t be fooled by the sun star’s sunny disposition
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- Опубликовано: 23 фев 2021
- California sun stars have a voracious appetite and they are not picky about their next meal. They maneuver across mud or rocks on an army of tiny tube feet, drawn to the scent of a rotting feast. But these sea stars don’t solely dine on scavenged scraps-they are also cunning predators. Sun stars feast on crabs, amphipods, worms, and other small invertebrate animals by trapping them in their arms and swallowing them whole.
The upper surface of the star is covered in tiny spines surrounded by jagged pincers-or pedicellariae-that can retract or wave in the water like pom-poms. When something crawls too close, the pincers grab tight. A hungry sun star can even raise an arm or two to snag a swimming snack from the waters overhead. Remarkably, MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles (or ROVs) have observed this species capture fast-moving prey, such as krill or even fish.
Like other sea stars, California sun stars can shed an arm when threatened. While the released appendage distracts the predator, the star can creep away to safety and later regenerate lost limbs. Luckily, with 8-22 arms, they have a few to spare.
The scientific name Rathbunaster californicus translates to Rathbun’s California star and honors Smithsonian scientist Richard Rathbun.
Scientific name: Rathbunaster californicus (Fisher 1906)
Size: up to 45 centimeters (18 inches)
Depth: 60-1,000 meters (200-3,300 feet)
Learn more about this and other iconic deep-sea animals at MBARI's Creature feature page: www.mbari.org/products/creatu...
Editor: Ted Blanco
Writer: Raúl Nava
Production team: Kyra Schlining, Susan von Thun, Nancy Jacobsen Stout
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References:
Lewis, L.M. (1992). Habitat use, diet, and parasitism of the seastar Rathbunaster californicus (Fisher) from the Monterey Submarine Canyon, California. Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Master’s thesis. 336. scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_the...
Warén, A. and L.M. Lewis (1994) Two new species of eulimid gastropods endoparasitic in asteroids. The Veliger, 37(4): 325-335.
Lauerman, L.M.L. (1998). Diet and feeding behavior of the deep-water sea star Rathbunaster californicus (Fisher) in the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Bulletin of Marine Science, 63 (3): 523-530. 
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Loved the ominous music and the layout of the information.
Thank you for these wonderful videos.
That is the first time I've seen a bottom dweller capture a jellyfish; it's interesting how they manage to bring it down.
In this case, since we didn't see the before part of this sequence, it is more likely that the sun star found the dying jelly on the seafloor. They'll eat almost any dead thing they find on the seafloor!
Patrick’s larger more scarier cousin.
Lol
@@Kcali111 😝
Patrick sleeps under the rock, the Sun Star sleeps on top of it.
@@melaniegonzalezart8506 Patrick doesn’t want to become his cousin’s next meal.
Love this kind of video 🥰 waiting for more ♥️
What cool dudes!
Small correction from personal observation. I've seen lots of sun stars shallower than 60 meters. I think 10 meters for the shallow end of the depth range would be more accurate.
I believe you are referring to Rathbunaster californicus' shallower cousin, the sunflower sea star, Pycnopodia helianthoides.
Yes, the sunflower star, Pycnopodia helianthoides, and the deeper sun star (featured here) look very similar. Get more info about the sunflower star on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's website: www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/sunflower-star
@@kyraschlining4562 I stand corrected. Thank you.
do a plumose anemone video next plese
Great idea!
@@MBARIvideo thanks! I’m also looking forward to the new exhibit at the aquarium!
I wish these videos were not so short. It's like a tease and not the good type.
1:11 what squid is??
By the size, color palate, and predation attempt it feels almost like a Humboldt. But it could easily be any other number of normal generally red active mid-deep water squids
Yes, that's a Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas. Learn more about them in this video: ruclips.net/video/iANgyT95bmA/видео.html
@@MBARIvideo thanks!
@@dilophoraptordouble thanks!