Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Subphylum: Eleutherozoa
Superclassis: Asterozoa
Classis: Asteroidea
Ordo: Forcipulatida
Familia: Asteriidae
Genus: Pisaster
Species: P. brevispinus – P. giganteus – P. ochraceus
Name
Pisaster Müller & Troschel, 1840
References
Additional references
Fisher, W.K. 1930. Asteroidea of the North Pacific and adjacent waters. Part 3: Forcipulata (Concluded). Bulletin of the United States National Museum 76(3): 1-356. DOI: 10.5479/si.03629236.76.3 Open access BHL Reference page. [see page 162]
Pisaster (from Greek πίσος, "pea", and ἀστήρ, "star"[1]) is a genus of Pacific sea stars that includes three species, P. brevispinus, P. giganteus, and P. ochraceus. Their range extends along the Pacific coast from Alaska to southern California in the intertidal zone. The largest individuals of Pisaster can reach diameters of up to 70 cm (28 in) across; they all develop five arms, but some may be lost from injury or disease, and occasionally the re-growth of an injured arm will result in an individual with more than five arms.
Sea stars in the genus Pisaster are all predators; the ochre sea star is the best-characterized of these, and is considered a "keystone" predator that controls the relative abundance of many other species in the ecosystem.
Species
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Pisaster brevispinus | (Giant) Pink or Short-spined Sea Star | coast of North America from Sitka, Alaska to La Jolla, California. |
 |
Pisaster giganteus | Giant Sea Star | coast of North America from Southern California to British Columbia. |
 |
Pisaster ochraceus | Ochre Sea Star | from Prince William Sound in Alaska to Baja California. |
References
Cleveland P. Hickman et al., Integrated Principles of Zoology (St. Louis: Times Mirror / Mosby College Pub., 1984), p. 469.
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