Luidia australiae

Luidia australiae, the southern sand star, is a species of starfish in the family Luidiidae. It is found in the Pacific Ocean around Australia and New Zealand.

Luidia australiae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Class:	Asteroidea
Order:	Paxillosida
Family:	Luidiidae
Genus:	Luidia
Species:	L. australiae
Binomial name
Luidia australiae Doderlein, 1920 [1]
Synonyms[1]
Luidia maculata Doderlein, 1896

Description

Luidia australiae has a variable number of long, slim, tapering arms but seven is the most common number. The central disc and the arms are a dull yellow colour, irregularly blotched with dark green or black. It can grow to 40 centimetres (16 in) in diameter.[2][3]

Distribution and habitat

Luidia australiae is native to the waters around southern Australia and New Zealand. It is found on reefs, in seagrass meadows, and semi-buried in sand at depths of up to 110 metres (360 ft). It is sometimes washed ashore after storms.

Biology

Luidia australiae is a carnivore and is often found half-buried in the sediment in seagrass beds where its colouring provides camouflage. It is likely to be an opportunist predator of macrofauna, and possibly also a scavenger.[3]

References

1. Mah, Christopher (2010). Mah CL (ed.). "Luidia australiae Doderlein, 1920". World Asteroidea database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
2. O'Loughlin, Mark (2011). "Luidia australiae Döderlein, 1920". Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay. Museum Victoria. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
3. O’Hara, T. D.; Norman, M. D.; Staples, D. A. (2002). "Baseline monitoring of Posidonia seagrass beds in Corner Inlet, Victoria" (PDF). Museum Victoria Science Reports. 1: 1–44.