Sunflower sea star: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the sunflower sea star lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Pycnopodia helianthoides
Group	Starfish, sea urchins & relatives
Status	Critically endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	North America
Class	Echinoderm
Order	Forcipulatida
Family	Asteriidae

Where does the sunflower sea star live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the sunflower sea star in 2 countries and territories across North America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the sunflower sea star endangered?

The sunflower sea star’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Critically endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the sunflower sea star?

The sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) is an echinoderm in the order Forcipulatida and the family Asteriidae, genus Pycnopodia. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the sunflower sea star

Pycnopodia helianthoides, commonly known as the sunflower sea star, is a large sea star found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The only species of its genus, it is among the largest sea stars in the world, with a maximum arm span of 1 m (3.3 ft). Adult sunflower sea stars usually have 16 to 24 limbs. They vary in color. Sunflower sea stars are predatory and carnivorous, feeding mostly on sea urchins, clams, sea snails, and other small invertebrates. Although the species was widely distributed throughout the northeast Pacific, its population rapidly declined from 2013. The sunflower sea star is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Sunflower sea star (revision 1366801207), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1857023 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).