Macroptychaster accrescens - Species - Antarctic Field Guides

Macroptychaster accrescens (Koehler, 1920)

provided by British Antarctic Survey

Description

Usually yellow or orange in colour, with arms that are thick at the base but taper suddenly near the tip. This rarely seen seastar is very large, reaching up to 50cm across.

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Species distribution

Distribution info

0 to 655m. Found mostly on fine sediments from Sub-Antarctica and South Georgia to the Antarctic Peninsula and Continent

Ecology

Macroptychaster accrescens is an active predator on a variety of invertebrates such as gastropod and bivalve molluscs and brittle stars. It is also known to eat the seastars Odontaster validus and Odontaster meridionalis, and the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri