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I took this picture at the beach of Le Morne Brabant, in Mauritius .
Cushion Starfish (Culcita novaeguineae)
Cushion stars may have four, five, or six arms . Unlike the brittle star, there is no defined body. Tube feet located under the arms possess small suckers. These tube feet are connected to a water vascular system that is used for movement, nutrient distribution, waste management, and respiration.
The Cushion star appearance is similar to its name. It looks like an inflated cushion or pillow. The colour of the Cushion starfish could be orange, red, green or brown.
This species is fond of absorbing nutrients from the corals surrounding it. Moreover, it also likes to eat meat from clams.
It is pentagonal in shape with an inflated appearance and much-abbreviated arms. It can grow to a diameter of 30 cm . Rows of tube feet are on the underside, and it has a central mouth.
The armoured body wall is made of calcareous ossicles which are supported internally by pillars which buttress the ambulacra.
The armouring contains pits into which the tube feet can be retracted. The body cavity is filled with water.
Small cushion stars are very different in appearance. They are star-shaped, with five short, broad arms and a low profile. As they grow, the inter-arm areas fill in and expand relative to the tube-feet areas, and the arms get shorter relative to the disc which becomes inflated and more massive.
#myphotos #starfish #CushionStarfish #LeMorneBrabant #Mauritius #IndianOcean
Cushion Starfish (Culcita novaeguineae)
Cushion stars may have four, five, or six arms . Unlike the brittle star, there is no defined body. Tube feet located under the arms possess small suckers. These tube feet are connected to a water vascular system that is used for movement, nutrient distribution, waste management, and respiration.
The Cushion star appearance is similar to its name. It looks like an inflated cushion or pillow. The colour of the Cushion starfish could be orange, red, green or brown.
This species is fond of absorbing nutrients from the corals surrounding it. Moreover, it also likes to eat meat from clams.
It is pentagonal in shape with an inflated appearance and much-abbreviated arms. It can grow to a diameter of 30 cm . Rows of tube feet are on the underside, and it has a central mouth.
The armoured body wall is made of calcareous ossicles which are supported internally by pillars which buttress the ambulacra.
The armouring contains pits into which the tube feet can be retracted. The body cavity is filled with water.
Small cushion stars are very different in appearance. They are star-shaped, with five short, broad arms and a low profile. As they grow, the inter-arm areas fill in and expand relative to the tube-feet areas, and the arms get shorter relative to the disc which becomes inflated and more massive.
#myphotos #starfish #CushionStarfish #LeMorneBrabant #Mauritius #IndianOcean
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