Sunflower Sea Star
Pycnopodia helianthoides
Marine Invertebrates
Rocky intertidal and subtidal habitat
iNaturalist record: Apr 2022
Meet this species
Sunflower sea stars are among the largest and fastest sea stars on the Pacific coast. They are active predators capable of moving across rocky habitat in search of a wide variety of prey. A documented Greene Point observation places one of the Pacific coast's most remarkable marine predators directly within the local species record.
Sunflower sea star with numerous arms on rocky marine habitat near Greene Point.
What to look for:
Look for an exceptionally large sea star with many soft-looking arms radiating from a broad central disc. Colours may include orange, purple, red or brown. The large number of arms and overall size make adults difficult to confuse with most other local sea stars.
Why It Matters Here:
The sunflower sea star gives this field guide both ecological weight and an immediate sense of wonder. Large predators are part of the structure of marine food webs, and documenting their presence helps build a richer picture of the underwater ecosystem around Greene Point.
Field Record
Documented at Greene Point through field observations and photographs recorded on iNaturalist.