Ophidiaster ophidianus
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| Ophidiaster ophidianus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Ophidiasteridae |
| Genus: | Ophidiaster |
| Species: | O. ophidianus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ophidiaster ophidianus Lamarck, 1816 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Ophidiaster ophidianus, the purple starfish, is a species of starfish from the East Atlantic (from mainland Portugal and the Azores down to the Gulf of Guinea) and the Mediterranean Sea.[2][3] It has a big variation in colour (from red to orange) and may present brown spots.[4][5] The central disc is small, covered by irregular plates,[6] and the arms are thinner near the central disc. Each arm has lines of respiratory papillae.[7] It can reach 40 cm in diameter.[7]