Fauna
Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 2271961

Leather Star

Dermasterias imbricata

Also known as Garlic Star

Leather stars glide across rocky reefs and kelp forests on thousands of hydraulic tube feet, easily recognized by their smooth, slippery texture and a distinct garlic-like scent. Unlike spiny sea stars, their aboral surface is covered by a thick, velvety skin embedded with tiny red, orange, and olive-brown calcareous plates. They play a vital predatory role in temperate coastal ecosystems, using an eversible stomach to digest sessile invertebrates directly against the rock.

MarineTidepoolInvertebrate
Leather Star reference
Licensed reference"Leather Star" by Ed Bierman is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Plumose Anemone
  • Purple Sea Urchin
  • Orange Sea Pen
Predators
  • Morning Sun Star
  • Sea Otter
  • Glaucous-winged Gull
ThreatsSea star wasting disease, warming ocean temperatures, and coastal water pollution
HabitatsLow intertidal rocky shores, subtidal rocky reefs, and kelp forests down to 100 m
Life span15–25 years
Classification
  1. FamilyAsteropseidae
  2. SpeciesDermasterias imbricata
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Low Tide Etiquette: Step carefully on bare rocks to avoid crushing individuals submerged in shallow pools.
  • Handling Precaution: Leave them submerged in water; removing them causes stress and damages delicate tube feet.
Related species
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