Details
Protoreaster nodosus
The chocolate chip sea star is a stout sea star marked with dark cone-shaped knobs. It creeps across shallow bottoms and feeds on organic matter and small animals.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It lives on Indian and Pacific coasts, reefs, and shallow sandy or muddy bottoms. Seagrass edges and coral flats are common foraging areas.
Diameter 15-30 cm; weight 200-800 g. The thick five-rayed body carries dark conical bumps that contrast with a pale tan background. Many tube feet line the underside.
Cathemeral and solitary, it moves slowly over the bottom. Tube feet pull it forward while chemical cues guide it toward food.
An omnivore, it eats algae fragments, detritus, small invertebrates, and carrion. Like other sea stars, it can evert the stomach over food.
Adults release eggs and sperm into the water during spawning. Larvae drift before later settling onto the seafloor.
It is listed as Least Concern. It is collected for aquaria, so shallow local populations can be affected by heavy take or habitat change.
