Luidia alternata
| Luidia alternata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Paxillosida |
| Family: | Luidiidae |
| Genus: | Luidia |
| Species: | L. alternata |
| Binomial name | |
| Luidia alternata Say, 1825 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Luidia alternata, commonly known as the banded Luidia[1] or the banded sea star,[2] is a species of sea star in the family Luidiidae.[3]
Description
[edit]L. alternata is a five-armed sea star with arms that can extend up to 6 in (15 cm) from its center point. The center disk is small, and the arms are relatively narrow.[1] Covering the arms are small spines.[1][4] The under surface is covered in narrow skeletal plates at right angles to the groove. Each of these plates have two long, slender spines at the margin. The upper aboral side can be gray, brown, greenish, purplish, or black with bands of tan or yellow. The tube feet are often orange.[1]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]L. alternata is found from North Carolina in the United States to Brazil, including throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. Within this range, the sea star is found on sandy or muddy substrates at depths ranging from the low tide water line to 201 m (660 ft).[1]
Ecology
[edit]L. alternata feeds on benthic invertebrates, including brittle stars.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Meinkoth, Norman August; National Audubon Society, eds. (1990). The Audubon Society field guide to North American seashore creatures. The Audubon Society field guide series (4. print ed.). New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-394-51993-7.
- ↑ "Banded Sea Star - Luidia alternata - Sea Stars - Limp Sea Star, Weak Sea Star - Tropical Reefs". reefguide.org. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- ↑ "ITIS - Report: Luidia alternata". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- ↑ Clark, Austin H. (1945). "A new starfish of the genus Luidia from the coast of Georgia". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 35 (1). Washington Academy of Sciences: 19–21. ISSN 0043-0439.