Scientific name:

Asterias rubens

About:

The commonest starfish, with 5 ‘legs’, normally 10 to 30 cm across, sometimes growing up to 50 cm across. Found from the lower shore and further out. Usually orange in colour, with many small pale spines, but sometimes pale purple or brownish. A predator, feeding on shellfish including cockles, mussels and barnacles.

How to identify:

<p>The commonest starfish, often washed up in large numbers, or found around the low tide mark and in rock pools.</p>

Where:

Found all round our shores

Fantastic facts:

Starfish feed by pulling the shellfish open with their arms, then inserting their stomach and dissolving their prey with the stomach acids. Ouch!