Striped sun star – State Wildlife Action Plan

The striped sun star is a large (up to 58 cm diameter) sea star with 8 to 12 (typically 10) relatively long (up to 23 cm) slender rays. The aboral surface is typically yellow-orange or red, and prominent gray, blue or purple stripes radiate out from the center of the disc to the tip of each ray. They generally inhabit rocky, sandy, and muddy areas in subtidal areas (0 to 30 m; down to a maximum depth of 610 m), but they also sometimes occur in the low intertidal zone. Juveniles have been observed within beds of tube worms (Phyllochaetopterus). They feed upon a diversity of prey items including sea cucumbers (Cucumaria miniata, Cucumaria curata, Eupentacta quinquesemita, Eupentacta pseudoquinquesemita, Psolus chitonoides), sea pens, tunicates, and brachiopods. Striped sun stars are broadcast spawners, and mature females spawn large yolky eggs that are buoyant and float upwards through the water column after release. The embryos develop into large, short-lived lecithotrophic larvae that subsist on yolk materials while they disperse in ocean currents for a period of about 8 to 10 days. Striped sun stars are preyed upon by congeneric morning sun stars (Solaster dawsoni) and by the large predatory snail (Fusitriton oregonensis). Populations of striped sun star (and many other species of asteroids) were decimated throughout their range by Sea Star Wasting Syndrome (SSWS) which is a contagious condition that results in body lesions, tissue decay, rapid disintegration, and death. Sea stars along much of the North American Pacific Coast experienced massive mortality from 2013 to 2015 due to SSWS, and the die-off has persisted at low levels up to the present. Striped sun star largely disappeared from its normal habitats in marine waters off the coast of Oregon over 2016 to 2020, and individuals have not been reported from Oregon waters for several years. It is estimated that striped sun stars have a life span of about 10 to 15 years. The biogeographic range extends from Japan to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (AK) and along the west coast of North America to Salt Point (CA).

Overview

Species Common Name Striped sun star
Species Scientific Name Solaster stimpsoni

Ecoregions

Nearshore

The Nearshore ecoregion includes a variety of habitats ranging from submerged high-relief rocky reefs to broad expanses of intertidal mudflats in estuaries and hosts a vast array of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, plants, and micro-organisms. This ecoregion encompasses the area from the outer boundary of Oregon's Territorial Sea to the supra-tidal zone, and up into the estuaries.

Special needs

Striped sun stars occur in lower intertidal and subtidal habitat where they feed primarily upon sea cucumbers.

Limiting factors

Larval supplies and episodic recruitment affect abundance and distribution. Prey availability and susceptibility to Sea Star Wasting Syndrome may be further limiting factors.

Data gaps

Determine the ecological role of striped sun stars in subtidal communities. Gather information on recruitment events. Assess population status. Evaluate ecological impacts of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome.

Conservation actions

Prevent disturbance, urban runoff, and sewage spills. Monitor status of populations at index sites. Gather scientific information to fill data gaps, and contribute to activities that facilitate recovery. Maintain prohibition of all non-scientific take of sea stars.

Key reference or plan

The Nature Conservancy – Roadmap for Recovery of Sunflower Sea Stars along the West Coast of North America.