- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold sea star, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the sea star
Sea stars, also called starfish, form the class Asteroidea, a group of about 1,900 species of echinoderms found on the seabed in all the world's oceans, from the intertidal zone to depths of 6,000 m. Most have a central disc with five arms, though some have far more. They move on tube feet operated by a hydraulic water vascular system and have a mouth at the centre of the underside. Many are bright red or orange. Most are opportunistic predators of bottom-dwelling invertebrates, and some push their stomachs out of the body to feed. They can regenerate lost arms and may reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Sea Star facts
- The Antarctic species Labidiaster annulatus can have more than fifty arms.
- Their tube feet grip using adhesive chemicals rather than suction.
- Some species shed arms as a defence, and most can regenerate damaged parts.
- The crown-of-thorns starfish is a voracious predator of coral across the Indo-Pacific region.
Where to see sea star in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding sea star by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Colorado· 1
Indiana· 1
Missouri· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
