Spiny starfish
Marthasterias glacialis
Special features
The spiny starfish actually comes from northern territories, namely from the Eastern Atlantic surrounding Iceland, Norway, and Ireland.
Therefore prefers cooler coastal regions in the Mediterranean as well.
Appearance
It also looks as if it came from a colder world: brown to gray to olive green and strewn with bright spines.
The bigger they get, the stronger they are in color.
It is one of the largest starfish species in the world and can reach an enormous 40 cm to 1 m.
The whitish spines run in three longitudinal rows along each of his 5 arms and have warty atria.
Each sting is also surrounded by around 400 pincer-bearing pedicellaria.
Natural enemies
Octopus
Dangerous/venomous
Spiny starfish have thorns and pedicellaria with forceps, so you shouldn't get too close to it.
Sketch
1. Light spines
2. Variable base color
Pro tips
As beautiful as this giant may look, it eats its way monstrously through the underwater menu.
It can digest fish, crabs, sea urchins, and snails with its extendable stomach.
With his suction feet, he even manages to crack open mussels without any problems and devour them.
During nighttime, it mainly ambushes crabs that migrate into deeper waters and catches them from ambush.
His favorite dish is sea urchins, which he turns around to eat from the sensitive side of its mouth (don't they kiss each other briefly beforehand?).
Due to the overfishing of predatory fish, the spiny starfish takes on the main role of sea urchin inventory control.
Text: Carolina Leiter, Pia Balaka
Pic: Felician Hosp
Illustration: Dive Dict
