Biscuit Sea Star
Scientific name: Tosia australis
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Biscuit Sea Star, Tosia australis
Image: Jiri Lochman/Lochman Transparenc
© Jiri Lochman/Lochman Transparencies
© Jiri Lochman/Lochman Transparencies
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Tosia
- Species
- australis
- Family
- Goniasteridae
- Order
- Valvatida
- Class
- Asteroidea
- Phylum
- Echinodermata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 5 cm
Introduction
This distinctive bright orange-red sea star is called the Biscuit Sea Star because it is about the size of a large biscuit.
Identification
The upper surface of the Biscuit Sea Star is covered with many interlocking small plates and six to eight larger plates along the edge of each of their short arms. It is a distinctive bright orange-red.
Habitat
The Biscuit Sea Star lives on intertidal rocky shores and in coastal waters to a depth of 40 m.
Distribution
The Biscuit Sea Star is found in Sydney, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania.
Feeding and diet
Biscuit Sea Stars feed on sea squirts, sponges, bryzoans and algae.
