MarLIN Marine Information Network Information on the and habitats around the coasts and sea of the British Isles

A cushion star ( phylactica)

MarLIN – Marine Life Information Network Marine Evidence–based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA) Review

Morvan Barnes

2008-03-27

A report from: The Marine Life Information Network, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

Please note. This MarESA report is a dated version of the online review. Please refer to the website for the most up-to-date version [https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/131]. All terms and the MarESA methodology are outlined on the website (https://www.marlin.ac.uk)

This review can be cited as: Barnes, M.K.S. 2008. A cushion star. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. (eds) Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.17031/marlinsp.131.1

The information (TEXT ONLY) provided by the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own terms and conditions and they may or may not be available for reuse. Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available here. Based on a work at www.marlin.ac.uk (page left blank) Date: 2008-03-27 A cushion star (Asterina phylactica) - Marine Life Information Network

See online review for distribution map

Close-up of the aboral (top) side of a cushion star found in an intertidal rockpool. Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Photographer: David Fenwick Biogeographic Information System (OBIS). To Copyright: David Fenwick Snr. interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.

Researched by Morvan Barnes Refereed by Admin Authority Emson & Crump, 1979 Other common - Synonyms - names

Summary

 Description

The cushion star, Asterina phylactica, is small five-armed . Like all starfish, it has a star- shaped body with five equal length arms originating at a central disc. The lower surface of the central disc bears the mouth. A deep furrow runs from the mouth to the end of each arm. In each furrow are two rows of tube feet. Like similar starfish species, Asterina phylactica, has inconspicuous marginal plates, papulae on the all surfaces and a sharp edge between the upper and lower surfaces.

Asterina phylactica has a flattened body which can reach up to 15 cm in diameter and small compact arms. It can be distinguished from Asterina gibbosa and similar species by having very few ventral mouth plates and no radial thickenings. It has a grey-green upper surface with a conspicuous dark star-shape in the centre. It is pale underneath.

 Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Found off the south-west coasts of the British Isles, but occurs as far north as the west coasts of Scotland and has been recorded off north-west Ireland.

 Global distribution https://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitats/detail/131 3 Date: 2008-03-27 A cushion star (Asterina phylactica) - Marine Life Information Network

Brittany and Meditteranean

 Habitat Asterina phylactica is a benthic species often found in intertidal rock pools but may be found sublittorally down to a depth of 18 m.

 Depth range Sublittoral to 18 metres

 Identifying features

Inconspicuous marginal plates. Papulae on upper and lower surfaces. No crossed pedicellariae. Two rows of tube feet. Sharp edge between the upper and lower surfaces. Dark star shape at the centre of the upper surface.

 Additional information Asterina phylactica has an unusual reproductive strategy. Individuals are simultaneous hermaphrodites, and during breeding season will form small aggregations of up to 10 individuals to ensure cross breeding. They then brood the eggs by laying over the top them, remaining with the breeding aggregation until the eggs hatch.

 Listed by

 Further information sources

Search on:     NBN WoRMS

https://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitats/detail/131 4 Date: 2008-03-27 A cushion star (Asterina phylactica) - Marine Life Information Network

Bibliography

Emson, R.H. & Crump, R.G., 1979. Description of a new species of Asterina (Asteroidea), with an account of its ecology. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 59, 77-94. Hayward, P.J. & Ryland, J.S. (ed.) 1995b. Handbook of the marine fauna of North-West Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E., 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Belfast: Ulster Museum. [Ulster Museum publication, no. 276.] Mortensen, T.H., 1927. Handbook of the of the British Isles. London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press. Picton, B.E., 1993. A field guide to the shallow-water echinoderms of the British Isles. London: Immel Publishing Ltd. Southward, E.C. & Campbell, A.C., 2006. Echinoderms. The Linnean Society of London. Avon: The Bath Press. [Synopses of the British Fauna No. 56.] Strathmann, R.R, Strathmann, M.F. & Emson, R.H., 1984. Does limited brood capacity link adult size, brooding, and simultaneous hermaphroditism? A test with the starfish Asterina phylactica. The American Naturalist, 123(6), 796-818. WoRMS 2007. The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). http://www.marinespecies.org, 2008-10-31

Datasets

Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, 2018. Ulster Museum Marine Surveys of Northern Ireland Coastal Waters. Occurrence dataset https://www.nmni.com/CEDaR/CEDaR-Centre-for-Environmental-Data-and-Recording.aspx accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-09-25. Fenwick, 2018. Aphotomarine. Occurrence dataset http://www.aphotomarine.com/index.html Accessed via NBNAtlas.org on 2018-10-01 Manx Biological Recording Partnership, 2018. Isle of Man historical wildlife records 1990 to 1994. Occurrence dataset:https://doi.org/10.15468/aru16v accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-01. NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org. OBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System), 2019. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2019-03-12

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