Name: Sunflower Star
Information: The sunflower star is a colorful, large flexible sea star. The animal is a voracious predator. When on the prowl for food, the sunflower star swings along on its 15,000 tube feet — moving at the remarkable speed, for a sea star, of over 40 inches per minute. Sunflower stars feed on a wide variety of other invertebrates and some fish. Having such a large selection of prey organisms probably helps account for the large size this star can attain. Sunflower stars can have an arm radius of 40 cm. They range from Alaska to Baja, California. In Monterey Bay, the sunflower star eats — in season-dead or dying squid. For more information: Monterey Bay