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Cushion Star

The cushion star’s plump, pillow-like body gives it a distinctive appearance unlike most other sea stars! But it also has a much less cute name – the slime star! 

 

As its name suggests, the cushion star has a thick, inflated body that often looks like a soft cushion. While it might seem one-of-a-kind, it isn’t the only sea star with this appearance, and several different sea stars have the common name of “cushion star.” The species found in the deep, cold waters of the North Pacific, Pteraster tesselatus, is fairly small and typically displays five short arms that blend seamlessly into its rounded disk. It can be found in a range of colors, including brown, orange, tan, and a gray-purple.  

Like other sea stars, cushion stars have multiple tube feet on their underside which they can use to slowly move across the seafloor. They are opportunistic feeders, consuming sponges, scallops, and bacteria covering mussels. They feed by inverting their stomach to digest food—a classic sea star feeding strategy!

 

 

Cushion stars are collected to be sold as souvenirs for tourists and eaten as food. This harvesting could reduce their population if not done sustainably as well as cause damage to their ecosystem during collection. However, little is known about their overall population or if this activity puts their future at risk.

 

 

Although the impact of human activity on cushion stars is not known, it is important that any harvesting is done sustainably and without damaging the broader ocean ecosystem. Responsible management of marine resources is critical to ensuring healthy and abundant oceans. Learn more about Oceana’s campaigns to protect and restore marine biodiversity here.

 

 

 

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