Panamic cushion sea star (Pentaceraster cumingi)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from SeaLifeBase, occurrence map from GBIF, description from Wikipedia.
Pentaceraster cumingi, sometimes known as the Panamic cushion star, Cortez starfish or knobby star (a name also used for other species), is a species of starfish in the family Oreasteridae. It is found in warmer parts of the East Pacific (Gulf of California to northwest Peru, including offshore islands like the Galápagos) and in Hawaii. In Panama this species has been collected from the Pearl Islands (depth 8 m), Gulf of Panama, and off Coiba Island, Gulf of Chiriqui. It reaches a diameter of about 12 in.
- Scientific name
- Pentaceraster cumingi
- Authority
- (Gray, 1840)
- Family
- Oreasteridae
- Order
- Valvatida
- Habitat zone
- benthic
- Gbif occurrence records
- 2,402
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Echinodermata · Class: Asteroidea · Order: Valvatida · Family: Oreasteridae · Genus: Pentaceraster.
Accepted name: Pentaceraster cumingi · Authority: (Gray, 1840) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 370899.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Oreaster hawaiiensis (Fisher, 1906); Oreaster occidentalis Verrill, 1867; Pentaceros cumingi Gray, 1840; Pentaceros hawaiiensis Fisher, 1906; Pentaceros occidentalis (Verrill, 1870).
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=370899 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)
Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Pentaceraster cumingi. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Habitat zone: benthic.
SeaLifeBase notes: This is an epibenthic species found in seagrass areas in subtidal waters 10 m in depth (Ref. 83942).
Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 50321) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Pentaceraster-cumingi.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
2,402 georeferenced occurrence records for Pentaceraster cumingi are published through GBIF from 10 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 88 distinct locations from a sample of 2,402 records, omitting 38 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: Ecuador (1,335); Mexico (736); Costa Rica (124); United States of America (116); Panama (68).
The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2272865) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2272865&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=370899 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
P. cumingi is found along the coasts of the Tropical Eastern Pacific and beyond, ranging as far north as the Gulf of California and as far south as the coast of northern Peru. It inhabits the shallow sub-tidal zone, usually in rocky terrain.
P. cumingi primarily feeds by scavenging and through a carnivorous diet. Its diet consists of ocean floor algae, microscopic organisms, and seagrass. On occasion, P. cumingi has been known to eat other echinoderms.
P. cumingi reproduces either sexually or asexually. It is gonochoric (having separate sexes). Asexual reproduction, which results in a clonal offspring, occurs by fission, splitting the central disc.
The skeleton of this species is commonly used for ornamentation and sold as a souvenir in Peru and Mexico. The P. cumingi population has greatly decreased in Peru because of their use as souvenirs, and P. cumingi is now considered close to extinction in this country. The population size in Mexico is unknown.
Source: Wikipedia: Pentaceraster cumingi — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentaceraster_cumingi (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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