#commonsunstar

[thegrandimago]

Taken the same day as the previous post, this is a common sunstar (Crossaster papposus), or solstjärna, caught in the fjord and is feasting on an unfortunate tall sea pen. In Sweden, they occur on the west coast on hard, sandy or gravelly bottoms within 10-50 m depths. For sessile and slow-moving invertebrates, these 35mm in diameter beasties are vicious predators that travel 35-50 cm a minute and will even devour other sea star. Before they become the predator shown here, they start out life during the late spring as free-swimming larvae for a short period that feed on nothing as they swim in groups before settling to the bottom. #animal #animals #djur #wildlife #natur #naturliv #nature #fauna #invertebrate #invertebrates #seastar #seastars #sjöstjärnor #sjöstjärna #asteroid #asteroids #sunstar #sunstars #echinoderm #echinoderms #tagghudingar #animalia #echinodermata #asteroidea #valvatida #solasteridae #crossaster #crossasterpapposus #commonsunstar #solstjärna (at Klubbans biologiska station) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeG-NS8K06Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=