Also known as False Ochre Sea Star, Troschel's True Star, Mottled Sea Star
Mottled stars cling tightly to rocky shorelines, using hundreds of suction-tipped tube feet to withstand crashing Pacific waves. These adaptable predators hunt bivalves by using their arms to pry open shells before inserting their stomachs to digest the prey. Often confused with the ochre star, they are distinguished by their smaller central discs and longer, more slender arms.
MarineIntertidalPredator
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
Mussels
Barnacles
Clams
Predators
Sea otters
Gulls
King crabs
ThreatsSea star wasting disease, ocean warming, coastal pollution
