Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 2274565
Sunflower Sea Star
Pycnopodia helianthoidesAlso known as Sunflower Star
Gliding across rocky reefs on more than 15,000 adhesive tube feet, sunflower sea stars are voracious keystone predators capable of traveling at speeds exceeding one meter per minute. Their presence triggers panic responses in sea urchins, snails, and crabs that scramble frantically to avoid being engulfed whole. Following a catastrophic outbreak of sea star wasting disease linked to marine heatwaves, their sudden collapse has led to the proliferation of urchin barrens across northeastern Pacific kelp forests.
MarinePredatorInvertebrate
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Critically EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXCritically EndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Purple Sea Urchin
- California Mussel
- Dungeness Crab
Predators
- Sea Otter
- King Crab
- Northern Fur Seal
ThreatsSea star wasting disease, marine heatwaves, ocean warming
HabitatsSubtidal rocky reefs, kelp forests, sandy bays, low intertidal zones
Life span20–65 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderForcipulatida
- FamilyAsteriidae
- GenusPycnopodia
- SpeciesPycnopodia helianthoides
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless to humans; safe to observe at a respectful distance.
- What to notice
- Look for large, soft-bodied stars with 16 to 24 velvety arms colored orange, purple, brown, or yellow.
- Support conservation
- Observe without touching or disturbing the animal, and report wild sightings to marine monitoring programs.
Responsible observation
- Low Tide Searches: Scan deep tide pools and shaded rock overhangs during extreme negative tides.
- Hands-Off Policy: Keep hands clear to protect their delicate, fluid-filled skin from stress and damage.
- Log Sightings: Document any encounters with photographs to help marine researchers track population recovery.
Prey (c) Jerry Kirkhart, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Habitat "Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), Monterey Bay aquarium, California" by LT&C is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Predator Marshal Hedin from San Diego / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
Same Family no rights reserved · cc0
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