Bat star Bat star The bat star ("Patiria miniata"), also known as a sea bat, webbed star, and broad-disk star, is a species of sea star (also called a starfish) in the family Asterinidae. It typically has five arms, with the center disk of the animal being much wider than the stubby arms are in length. Although the bat star usually has five arms, it sometimes has as many as nine. Bat stars occur in many of colors, including green, purple, red, orange, yellow and brown, either mottled or solid. The bat star gets its name from the webbing between its arms,
Reef starfish Reef starfish Reef starfish (Stichaster australis) is a species of starfish found in the South Pacific Ocean around New Zealand. A keystone species, the carnivorous starfish plays an important part in reducing the expansion of mussels. "S. australis" is pink or purple in color, with 11 arms. Found throughout New Zealand, "S. australis" is a keystone species in both the North and South Islands, playing an important role in mussel predation. In one study on the west coast of the South Island conducted in the 1970s, "S. australis" was found to have removed a majority of transplanted mussels within two