Porania pulvillus

Porania pulvillus
Aboral and oral surfaces of P. pulvillus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Valvatida
Family: Poraniidae
Genus: Porania
Species:
P. pulvillus
Binomial name
Porania pulvillus
Synonyms[2]
  • Asterias pulvillus O.F. Müller, 1776
  • Asteropsis pulvillus (O.F. Müller, 1776)
  • Porania gibbosa Leach in Gray, 1840

Porania pulvillus, also called the red cushion star or red cushion starfish, is a species of sea star in the family Poraniidae.[1][2][3][4] The specific name pulvillus means "little cushion."[5]

Description

Porania pulvillus is up to 12 cm (4.7 in) in diameter. The aboral surface (top) is usually bright red but may be purple, orange or yellow. It has white/yellowish spots and bands that radiate from the centre, and smooth greasy skin.[6] The madreporite is in the centre.[4] P. pulvillus has translucent soft papillae that act as gills. The oral surface (underside) is pale. This sea star has five short, broad arms. Each arm has two rows of small ossicles on either side. It has no pedicellariae.[3]

Subspecies

There are two subspecies:[2]

  • Porania (Porania) pulvillus pulvillus (O.F. Müller, 1776)
  • Porania (Porania) pulvillus insignis Verrill, 1895

Distribution

It is widely distributed in the northern Atlantic Ocean,[1][2] including the waters off Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, New England and Newfoundland.[3]

Environment

Porania pulvillus is sublittoral, typically living at 10–300 m (33–984 ft) depth, but some at up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[3]

Behaviour

Porania pulvillus produces brachiolaria larvae in spring. It is gonochoristic.[3]

It feeds on detritus and the soft coral Alcyonium digitatum.[3][7]

  • View of pores on oral surface
    View of pores on oral surface
  • Oral surface of the end of a leg
    Oral surface of the end of a leg
  • Aboral surface of the end of a leg
    Aboral surface of the end of a leg
  • A red Porania pulvillus
    A red Porania pulvillus
  • An orange Porania pulvillus
    An orange Porania pulvillus
  • View of spots on aboral surface
    View of spots on aboral surface

References

  1. ^ a b c Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2024). "Porania pulvillus" in SeaLifeBase. March 2024 version.
  2. ^ a b c d Mah CL, ed. (2024). "Porania (Porania) pulvillus (O.F. Müller, 1776)". World Asteroidea Database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Red cushion star (Porania (Porania) pulvillus)". The Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN). Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 2007.
  4. ^ a b Bay-Nouailhat, A. (August 2008). "description of Porania (Porania) pulvillus - Red cushion starfish". www.european-marine-life.org.
  5. ^ "Pulvillus". Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.
  6. ^ "Porania pulvillus - Marine Life Encyclopedia". www.habitas.org.uk.
  7. ^ "Sea Star - Porania pulvillus". www.seawater.no.
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