Phataria unifascialis

Phataria unifascialis
A very blue Phataria unifascialis (often more purplish, reddish or tan in color)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Valvatida
Family: Ophidiasteridae
Genus: Phataria
Species: P. unifascialis
Binomial name
Phataria unifascialis
(Gray, 1840)[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Linckia unifascialis Gray, 1840
  • Linckia bifascialis Gray, 1840
  • Linckia unifascialis Gray, 1840
  • Ophidiaster suturalis Müller & Troschel, 1842
  • Phataria bifascialis (Gray, 1840)

Phataria unifascialis is a species of starfish in the family Ophidiasteridae. It is sometimes known as the blue seastar or tan starfish, but both these names are also used for other species (e.g., blue seastar for Linckia laevigata). It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean where it ranges from the Gulf of California and Magdalena Bay (Mexico) to northwest Peru, including various eastern Pacific island groups such as the Galápagos.[2] It remains fully active at temperatures down to 17 °C (63 °F), but becomes inactive when it drops to 14 °C (57 °F).[3] It reaches a diameter of about 30 cm (1 ft).[4]

Distribution in Panama

In Panama this species has been collected from Monte Island (USNM E 11842), Pearl Islands Archipelago (USNM E 7595) and Taboga Island (USNM 39144), Taboguilla Island (USNM E 11832, depth 12 m), Culebra Island (USNM E 37379, USNM E 37377; Centroid Latitude: 8.9133, Centroid Longitude: -79.5317), Venado Island (USNM E 37376; Centroid Latitude: 8.8792, Centroid Longitude: -79.59583), Perico Island (USNM E 35150), Gulf of Panama, eastern Pacific.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Mah, Christopher (2013). "Phataria unifascialis (Gray, 1840)". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  2. ↑ James, M.J., eds. (1991). Galápagos Marine Invertebrates: Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Evolution in Darwin's Islands. pp. 349. Topics in Geobiology. ISBN 978-1-4899-0646-5
  3. ↑ Morgana, M.B.; and D.L. Cowles (1997). The effects of temperature on the behaviour and physiology of Phataria unifascialis (Gray) (Echinodermata, Asteroidea) implications for the species' distribution in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 208(1-2): 13–27.
  4. ↑ MexFish: Tan Starfish, Tan Sea Star, Estrella de Mar (Phataria unifascialis). Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  5. ↑ Phataria unifascialis Encyclopedia of Life


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