Sunflower sea stars can grow to have an arm span of 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter.
They are the second-biggest sea star in the world, only second to the poorly known deepwater Midgardia xandaros, whose arm span is 134 cm (53 in) and its body is 2.6 cm (roughly 1 inch) wide.
Tough, P. helianthoides is the largest known echinoderm by mass.
Their color ranges from bright orange, yellow and red to brown and sometimes to purple, with soft, velvet-textured bodies and 16 to 24 arms with powerful suckers.
Most sea star species have a mesh-like skeleton to protect their internal organs.
Sunflower sea stars can grow to have an arm span of 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter. They are the second-biggest sea star in the world, only second to the poorly known deepwater Midgardia xandaros, whose arm span is 134 cm (53 in) and its body is 2.6 cm (roughly 1 inch) wide. Tough, P. helianthoides is the largest known echinoderm by mass. Their color ranges from bright orange, yellow and red to brown and sometimes to purple, with soft, velvet-textured bodies and 16 to 24 arms with powerful suckers. Most sea star species have a mesh-like skeleton to protect their internal organs.
Sunflower sea star