This weeks Photo Friday: “Fiery”
A Firebrick Starfish underwater at White Island, New Zealand.
A starfish called Asterodiscides truncatus (described in 1911) is “the fire brick starfish” because of the very fiery colored, brick-like tubercles that cover the surface of this species. There are larger swollen tubercles at the end of each arm tip (which I find particularly fascinating if you can find them curling upwards .. they almost resemble buttocks!
These features are present in all 18 species of Asterodiscides, which are found throughout the Indo-Pacific from Madagascar to Hawaii/Japan and to the South Pacific.
Very little is known about their biology. I seek them out when I’m diving, I think they are stunning!
