Distribution: Moderately common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region including Japan and Taiwan, to Hawaii and south to New Caledonia. In Australia along the east coast from central Queensland south at least to Sydney.

Ecological Notes: Often found in a hole it excavates for protection in soft rock or coral, where it remains permanently. Depth range to at least 50 m.

Additional Notes: Feeds by catching detritus and other suspended matter from the water column with its spines, these then passed to the mouth using the spines and the tube feet. Small species, needle sharp spines, specimen in photo with test size of about 30 mm, grows to around 50 mm overall diameter.

References: Neville Coleman, Sea Stars. Echinoderms of the Asia/Indo-Pacific. Neville Coleman’s Underwater Geographic Pty Ltd, 2007. pp.92-3.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Echinostrephus+aciculatus. Accessed 10/10/2018.