Luidia sarsi

Luidia sarsi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Division: Echinodermata
Subdivision: Asterozoa
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Paxillosida
Family: Luidiidae
Genus: Luidia
Species: L. sarsi
Binomial name
Luidia sarsi
Düben & Koren, 1846

The Luidia sarsi is a species of starfish. Sand colored with a velvety texture, the species expresses pentamerism or pentaradial symmetry as adults. The five gently tapering arms have conspicuous bands of long white marginal spines in groups of three. Luidia sarsi grow to approximately 20cm across and are found in deeper water (20m+) from Norway to the Mediterranean but in deep colder water in the south. They are usually found on muddy sediment and are most active at night, burying themselves under the sand during the day. Luidia sarsi larva develop from a fertilized egg and are unique in a number of respects. The larva of the species attains an unusual size (up to 35 mm[1]) and a juvenile starfish develops inside the larva. During metamorphosis the juvenile migrates to the outside and detaches from the swimming larval bipinnaria stage. The larva continues to live separately for several months.[2]

References

  1. ^ Domanski, PA (June 1984). "Giant larvae: Prolonged planktonic larval phase in the asteroid Luidia sarsi". Marine Biology (Springer-Verlag) 80 (2): 189–195. doi:10.1007/BF02180186. http://www.springerlink.com/content/p7q5v108j37472m1/. 
  2. ^ "Luidia". The Integrator (Website of the University of Illinois at Urbana Integrative Biology program). http://www.life.illinois.edu/ibhonors/LuidiaFrame.html. Retrieved September 17, 2004.