About Porania pulvillus (O.F.Müller, 1776)
Porania pulvillus, also known by its scientific name Porania pulvillus (O.F.Müller, 1776), can reach up to 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) in diameter. Its aboral (upper) surface is most often bright red, but can also be purple, orange, or yellow. It displays white to yellowish spots and bands that radiate out from its center, and has smooth, greasy skin. The madreporite is located at the center of the aboral surface. This species has translucent, soft papillae that function as gills. Its oral (lower, underside) surface is pale in color. This sea star has five short, broad arms. Each arm has two rows of small ossicles along each side, and this species has no pedicellariae. It is widely distributed across the northern Atlantic Ocean, found in waters off the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, New England, and Newfoundland. Porania pulvillus is a sublittoral species that typically lives at depths between 10 and 300 meters (33 to 984 feet), though some individuals can be found at depths as great as 1,000 meters (3,300 feet).
