Common Starfish/Sea Star Asterias rubens

These marine animals are commonly called "starfish" but scientists are trying to move to the name "sea star" since they are not fish but echinoderms. Common Sea Star and Common Starfish are the same species. It is native mainly to the northeastern Atlantic coasts from Scandinavia and the UK to west Africa and also to the northwestern Atlantic from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

It usually has five tapering arms and is reddish (orange, brown, pink, purple) in colour. Its top surface is covered in small spines running longways and small pimples. It grows to between 10-50cm across. The underside has pale tubular feet used to move around and feed.

Diet is mainly molluscs, both bivalve and gastropod, but also includes worms and other invertebrates.