Animals / Starfish

Purple sea star

Pisaster ochraceus · Asteriidae

Pisaster ochraceus, generally known as the purple sea star, ochre sea star, or ochre starfish, is a common seastar found among the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Identified as a keystone species, P. ochraceus is considered an important indicator for the health of the intertidal zone.

Where the Purple sea star lives

Recorded in United States of America and Canada (North America).

Most records fall in Washington, California, British Columbia, Oregon and Alaska.

See the Purple sea star’s range on the globe

Conservation status

Not evaluated (NE). Scientists haven’t checked yet how at risk it is, so this doesn’t mean it is safe or in danger. Categories are the IUCN Red List as republished by GBIF.

Sources

The range is a density of 117,406 georeferenced GBIF records, not an expert-drawn map. Description from Wikipedia.