Class

Common name: Starfish

Scientific name: Asteroidea

Asteroidea, commonly known as starfish or sea stars, are a class of echinoderms characterized by their star-shaped body structure with multiple arms radiating from a central disc. They are fascinating creatures that can regenerate lost limbs and have a unique feeding mechanism involving everting their stomachs. In reef aquariums, some species like the Reef Starfish (Fromia monilis) and the Blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata) are popular for their striking colors and shapes. However, care must be taken as some starfish are not reef-safe and may prey on corals or other invertebrates.

  1. Crown of Thorns Starfish (Purple Variant)
    Common name: Crown-of-Thorns Starfish
    Scientific name: Acanthaster planci
  2. Common name: Burton's Starfish
    Scientific name: Aquilonastra burtoni
  3. Sand Sifting Sea Star - (Astropecten polycanthus)
    Common name: Sand Sifting Starfish
    Scientific name: Archaster angulatus
  4. sand sifting starfish (archaster typicus) moving through the glass of a reef aquarium
    Common name: Indo-Pacific Beach Star
    Scientific name: Archaster typicus
  5. Many Northern Pacific Seastars or Japanese Common Starfish (Asterias amurensis), Sea of Japan, Primorsky Krai, Russian Federation
    Common name: Japanese common starfish
    Scientific name: Asterias amurensis
  6. étoile de mer commune (Asterias rubens).
    Common name: Northern Sea Star
    Scientific name: Asterias rubens
  7. Common name: sheriff-badge sea star
    Scientific name: Asteropsis carinifera
  8. Common name: Anderson's Sand Star
    Scientific name: Astropecten andersoni
  9. Orange Comb Starfish under water - Astropecten sp.
    Common name: Royal Starfish
    Scientific name: Astropecten aranciacus
  10. Giovane esemplare di stella marina, Astropecten bispinosus, tra la sabbia
    Common name: Bispinosus Sand Star
    Scientific name: Astropecten bispinosus
  11. Sand Sifting Sea Star - (Astropecten polycanthus)
    Common name: Sand Sifting Starfish
    Scientific name: Astropecten jonstoni
  12. Astropecten spiny sea star on silty bottom
    Common name: comb star
    Scientific name: Astropecten polyacanthus
  13. Sea star and sea shells
    Common name: Red Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Chaetaster longipes
  14. Granulated Sea Star, Gekörnter Kissenstern (Choriaster granulatus)
    Common name: granulated sea star
    Scientific name: Choriaster granulatus
  15. Étoile de mer épineuse - coscinasterias tenuispina
    Common name: white starfish
    Scientific name: Coscinasterias tenuispina
  16. Pin Cushion Sea Star (Culcita novaeguineae) in Sogod Bay near Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, Philippines.  Underwater photography and travel.
    Common name: pin-cushion sea star
    Scientific name: Culcita novaeguineae
  17. Cushion Star or Spiny cushion star (Culcita schmideliana), Indian Ocean, Maldives, Asia
    Common name: cushion star
    Scientific name: Culcita schmideliana
  18. Starfish, Echinaster callosus, Gili Lawat Indonesia
    Common name: Warty sea star
    Scientific name: Echinaster callosus
  19. Luzon Sea Star Echinaster luzonicus
    Common name: Luzon Sea Star
    Scientific name: Echinaster luzonicus
  20. Estrella de mar. Echinaster sepositus.
    Common name: Red starfish
    Scientific name: Echinaster sepositus
  21. Harlequin Shrimp, Hymenocera picta, with sea star food, Fromia monilis
    Common name: Orange spotted purple sea star
    Scientific name: Fromia elegans
  22. Ghardaqa red sea star - (fromia ghardaqana), underwater photo into the Red Sea
    Common name: Ghardaqa Sea Star
    Scientific name: Fromia ghardaqana
  23. Fromia Indica red starfish
    Common name: Indian Sea Star
    Scientific name: Fromia indica
  24. Detail of a small Thousand-pores starfish, Fromia milleporella, as it crawls on a reef in Indonesia.
    Common name: Red Starfish
    Scientific name: Fromia milleporella
  25. A Pearl Sea Star (Fromia monilis) in the Red Sea, Egypt
    Common name: Red Tile Starfish
    Scientific name: Fromia monilis
  26. Noduled sea star (Fromia nodosa) underwater on the bottom of the sea
    Common name: Red Sea Star
    Scientific name: Fromia nodosa
  27. Tropical white sand with red starfish in clear water
    Common name: Red Starfish
    Scientific name: Fromia polypora
  28. Egyptian sea star
    Common name: Egyptian sea star
    Scientific name: Gomophia egyptiaca
  29. Starfish
    Common name: Egg Cowrie
    Scientific name: Gomophia watsoni
  30. Hacelia Orange seastar, underwater photo into the Mediterranean sea - (Hacelia attenuata)
    Common name: smooth starfish
    Scientific name: Hacelia attenuata
  31. Blood Star (Henricia leviuscula) photographed scuba diving in southern British Columbia
    Common name: Pacific blood star
    Scientific name: Henricia leviuscula
  32. Blood Sea Star underwater in the St. Lawrence Estuary
    Common name: Bloody Henry starfish
    Scientific name: Henricia oculata
  33. Hippasteria phrygiana
    Common name: arctic cushion star
    Scientific name: Hippasteria phrygiana
  34. A Double Sea Star (Iconaster longimanus)
    Common name: icon star
    Scientific name: Iconaster longimanus
  35. man in a rock style
    Common name: Leather Star
    Scientific name: Leiaster coriaceus
  36. coconut in a glass with a drinking straw and a paper umbrella
    Common name: velvety sea star
    Scientific name: Leiaster speciosus
  37. yellow star linckia guildingi
    Common name: Blue Linckia Starfish
    Scientific name: Linckia guildingi
  38.  Young woman holding starfish underwater
    Common name: blue sea star
    Scientific name: Linckia laevigata
  39. Spotted Linckia Linckia multifora
    Common name: Blue Linckia Starfish
    Scientific name: Linckia multifora
  40. Seven-armed Sea Star, Luidia ciliaris,Sardinia, Italy
    Common name: Seven-armed starfish
    Scientific name: Luidia ciliaris
  41. Luidia maculata Starfish strand on the beach
    Common name: seven armed sea star
    Scientific name: Luidia maculata
  42. Spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis) in Mediterranean Sea
    Common name: spiny starfish
    Scientific name: Marthasterias glacialis
  43. Common name: Bradley's Sea Star
    Scientific name: Mithrodia bradleyi
  44. Young girl hands with a turquoise color nails polish holding starfish and sea sand in the background. Manicure and beauty concept. Close up, selective focus
    Common name: nail sea star
    Scientific name: Mithrodia clavigera
  45. Friant's Sea Star Nardoa frianti
    Common name: Nardoa frianti
    Scientific name: Nardoa frianti
  46. Galathea Seestern
    Common name: Galathea Sea Star
    Scientific name: Nardoa galathea
  47. Galatheas Seestern (Nardoa galatheae)
    Common name: Nardoa Starfish
    Scientific name: Nardoa galatheae
  48. Detail of the top of a Yellow mesh sea star, Nardoa novaecaledoniae, on a coral reef in Indonesia.
    Common name: Nardoa Starfish
    Scientific name: Nardoa novaecaledoniae
  49. Panoramic view on planet Earth globe from space. Glowing city lights, light clouds. Generative AI
    Common name: Rose Sea Star
    Scientific name: Nardoa rosea
  50. Common name: Nardoa Tuberculata
    Scientific name: Nardoa tuberculata
  51. Glowing jellyfish swim deep in blue sea. Medusa neon jellyfish fantasy in space cosmos among stars
    Common name: Blue Sea Star
    Scientific name: Neoferdina cumingi
  52. Chocolate Chip Sea Star on ocean floor
    Common name: Chocolate Chip Sea Star
    Scientific name: Neoferdina glyptodisca
  53. Red knob sea star - Protoreaster lincki, beautiful large colored sea star from Indian ocian coasts and reefs, Zanzibar.
    Common name: Red Knob Sea Star
    Scientific name: Neoferdina insolita
  54. Red Mediterranean Seastar – Ophidiaster ophidianus
    Common name: purple seastar
    Scientific name: Ophidiaster ophidianus
  55. sunset over the Atlantic Ocean in Florida
    Common name: red cushion sea star
    Scientific name: Oreaster reticulatus
  56. sohal surgeonfish Acanthurus sohal sohal tang  Red Sea endemic striking blue and white horizontal stripes have made it what many consider the 'poster fish' for the Red Sea reef environment
    Common name: Sohal Tang
    Scientific name: Paraferdina sohariae
  57. (Patiria miniata) starfish from the ventral side on the glass of the aquarium
    Common name: Bat star
    Scientific name: Patiria miniata
  58. Beaded Starfish (Pentaceraster mammillatus), Kiwengwa, Zanzibar, Tanzania.
    Common name: Knobby Sea Star
    Scientific name: Pentaceraster mammillatus
  59. Vermillion Star (Mediaster aequalis)
A vibrant Vermillion Star (Mediaster aequalis) photographed while scuba diving in the cold Pacific Ocean in southern British Columbia
    Common name: vermillion seastar
    Scientific name: Pentagonaster duebeni
  60. Close up of an orange and red pin cushion protea (Leucospermum); Upcountry Maui, Maui, Hawaii, United States of America
    Common name: red cushion stat
    Scientific name: Porania pulvillus
  61. Red knob sea star - Protoreaster lincki, beautiful large colored sea star from Indian ocian coasts and reefs, Zanzibar.
    Common name: red knobbed starfish
    Scientific name: Protoreaster lincki
  62. Protoreaster nodosus, commonly known as the horned starfish or chocolate starfish Several pieces in hand. Big and small. Yellow thick. Against the backdrop of the sea.
    Common name: chocolate chip starfish
    Scientific name: Protoreaster nodosus
  63. Chocolate Chip Sea Star on ocean floor
    Common name: Chocolate Chip Sea Star
    Scientific name: Tamaria stria
  64. Catalas Seestern (Thromidia catalai)
    Common name: Giant Sea Star
    Scientific name: Thromidia catalai
  65. Mottled sea star
    Common name: Mottled Sea Star
    Scientific name: Tosia australis