Purple ochre sea star on a rocky shore beside mussels.

Ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus); the source notes the madreporite between two arms.

Creator: Jerry Kirkhart from Los Osos, Calif.

Licence: CC BY 2.0

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Species record

Ochre Sea Star

Pisaster ochraceus

Explore the Ochre Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The ochre sea star lives on rocky shores along the northeast Pacific, from Prince William Sound in Alaska to Baja California. It is common in the middle and lower intertidal zones and also occurs on subtidal rock. Mussels are an important prey on exposed coasts, and its feeding helps shape rocky-shore communities.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Echinoderms
  3. Class: Sea stars
  4. Order: Forcipulatida
  5. Family: Asteriidae
  6. Genus: Pisaster

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
wave-swept rocky shores, middle intertidal zone, lower intertidal zone, subtidal rocky reefs
Selected regions
North America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • Ochre sea stars eat mussels and other shellfish on rocky shores.

Sources and attribution