Distribution: Not commonly observed in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Members of the Genus are distributed through tropical and temperate waters across the Indo – Pacific region. In Australia recorded from about Perth in Western Australia, across the tropical north including the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to northern New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Members of this Genus prefer soft substrate, commonly sand and mud, sea grass etc. Depth to at least 146 m.

Additional Notes: Top photograph possibly Pentaceraster gracilis. 

References: Neville Coleman, Sea Stars. Echinoderms of the Asia/Indo-Pacific. Neville Coleman’s Underwater Geographic Pty Ltd, 2007. pp.51-2.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=pentaceraster. Accessed 12/10/2018.