Species · GBIF taxon 2273740
Giant Sea Star
Pisaster giganteusAlso known as Giant Spined Star, Knobby Sea Star
Giant sea stars are striking marine predators adorned with thick, blunt, blue-ringed spines that stand out against their colorful arms. They inhabit low-intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs, using hundreds of powerful tube feet to cling to wave-swept rocks and pry open stubborn bivalves. These slow-moving echinoderms play a vital role in structuring coastal tide pool communities by keeping dominant prey populations in check.
MarineInvertebratePredatory
Licensed referenceWikimedia / CC BY-SA · CC BY-SA
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Mussels
- Clams
- Barnacles
Predators
- Sea otters
- Gulls
- Larger sea stars
ThreatsSea star wasting disease, ocean warming, and coastal pollution
HabitatsRocky intertidal zones, kelp forests, and subtidal reefs
Life spanUp to 20 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyAsteriidae
- SpeciesPisaster giganteus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for white lesions, deflated arms, or a disintegrating body structure.
- Support conservation
- Never touch or move individuals, and report any signs of wasting disease to local marine researchers.
Responsible observation
- Look but do not touch: Avoid prying them off rocks, as this can easily tear their delicate tube feet.
- Check the spines: Look closely at the bright blue rings surrounding each white spine to confirm the identification.
- Watch the tide: Search for them during extreme low tides in deep rocky crevices and kelp holdfasts.
Co-occurring Predator Jerry Kirkhart from Los Osos, Calif. / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Primary Prey (c) Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved · cc0
Close Relative (c) Jerry Kirkhart, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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