Northern pacific Seastar

Scientific name

Asterias amurensis

Key features

Key features of Northern pacific Seastar include:

• five arms with pointed upturned tips
• yellow/orange with purple markings, yellow underneath
• up to 50cm across when fully grown
• aggregates in cooler months to spawn.

Habitat

The Northern pacific Seastar:

• found in bays, estuaries and reefs from high tide mark to 200m
• found in a range of habitats including seagrass, mussel beds, artificial structures (marinas, ports, etc.) rock pools and rocky reefs.

Impacts

The Northern pacific Seastar:

• aggressive predator of native and commercial species including mussels, oysters and scallops
• harms biodiversity, aquaculture and fisheries.

Known established populations

The Northern pacific Seastar is currently present in Port Phillip Bay.