About Solaster stimpsoni Verrill, 1880
Solaster stimpsoni Verrill, 1880 is a large sea star that can grow up to 50 cm in diameter. It has between 8 and 12 arms, but most often has 10. Its aboral surface has a distinctive reddish orange color, and is covered with thick paxillae. The arms are long, slender, and tapering, and each has a contrasting dark purplish-grey stripe running from the center of the body to the arm tip. This species has no pedicellariae, and the underside of the arms has two rows of tube feet. As a member of the class Asteroidea, this species uses both asexual and sexual reproduction. In its life cycle, embryos hatch into planktonic larvae that later metamorphose into pentamerous juveniles, which then develop into young sea stars with stubby arms. This species is found in the seas of Japan, and along the western coast of the United States, ranging from central California north to Alaska. It usually lives on rocky surfaces in the subtidal zone, and is occasionally found in the low inter-tidal zone, at depths from 0 to 610 meters.
