Meridiastra calcar

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Echinodermata · Class: Asteroidea · Order: Valvatida · Family: Asterinidae · Genus: Meridiastra.

Accepted name: Meridiastra calcar · Authority: (Lamarck, 1816) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 459547.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Asterias calcar Lamarck, 1816; Asterias calcar var. octagona Lamarck, 1816; Asterias octagona Lamarck, 1816; Asteriscus calcar (Lamarck, 1816); Patiriella calcar (Lamarck, 1816).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=459547 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Meridiastra calcar. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Habitat zone: benthic · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 167969) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Meridiastra-calcar.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

5,009 georeferenced occurrence records for Meridiastra calcar are published through GBIF from 2 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 47 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 51 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Australia (5,007); Japan (1).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2272147) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2272147&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=459547 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The cushion sea star typically has eight short, distinct, triangular "arms", though 7- or 9-armed individuals can be found. These "arms" are laterally fused together for some of their length, leaving ray-like tips of varying length to jut from the disk-like body. This species aboral surface can be any colour or combination of colours, while the oral side is uniformly pale. This sea star attains a maximum diameter from arm tip to arm tip of 5 cm–10 cm.

The cushion sea star is found in the intertidal zone of Australian coasts from Western Australia's south coast to Queensland's coast off Currumbin, while including Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. This sea star species favours rocky coasts abiding both in tide pools and to a maximum depth of 3 meters below sea level.

Like other sea stars, the cushion sea star is a slow-moving animal using its tube feet to move about, collecting or subduing the food items that constitute this omnivorous species diet, namely, algae, detritus, mussels and other invertebrates. This species is viviparous like a few others classified in the genus Patiriella, brooding its young within the body.

Source: Wikipedia: Meridiastra calcar — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meridiastra_calcar (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

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