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Twenty-four-rayed Sun Star
Heliaster solaris
Heliaster solaris commonly known as 24-rayed sunstar is a possibly extinct sea star which was known from the waters near Española Island in the Galápagos Islands. The species was endemic to the Galápagos Island group, where it appears to have been strictly restricted to the waters around Española Island.
From the article Heliaster solaris on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The body of Heliaster solaris grew up to 3 inches in diameter, and had 22 to 24 cylindrical and elongated more or less distinctly banded rays which were tapering at the ends. They were one third longer than the diameter of the body. The dorsal rows of the spines were longer and more compressed. The spines, pedicellariae, and the madreporic plate were light yellowish. It hasn’t been seen in the wild since 1983. Heliaster solaris is poorly-understood and rarely documented species of sea star. The 24-rayed sunstar may be synonymous with another species in the Heliaster species complex that lives in the east Pacific.
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Heliaster solaris in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 195886.