About Solaster dawsoni Verrill, 1880
This species, commonly known as the morning sun star, has a wide central disc and 8 to 13 long, tapering arms, usually 11 or 12 in number. The tips of these arms are often turned upwards. Its upper aboral surface is smooth, and its colouration is most commonly red, orange, grey, or pale brown, sometimes with paler irregular patches. Individuals of this species grow to an overall width of approximately 40 centimetres (16 inches). Morning sun stars are distributed in the northern Pacific Ocean, found at depths down to around 420 metres (1,380 feet). Their range stretches from Japan, China, and Siberia along North American coasts as far south as California. They are frequently encountered in rocky habitats, though they can also live on other types of seabed.
