Appearance
They can usually be identified by their bright orange-red color, but there can also be many variations from tan to almost purple. The disk can be a mottled gray color. There can also be a saddle-like marking of lilac blotches between the rays, but the rays are not mottled. They commonly have 5 rays. The rays are smooth and appear smooth due to the lack of pedicellariae and spines. The species is relatively small; the diameter is usually over 8 cm and rarely gets larger than 12 cm. As with all seastars the blood star has a madreporite which can be seen in the image below.Naming
*"Chaetaster" "californicus" Grube, 1856 synonym⤷ "Cribrella" "laeviuscula" Sladen, 1889 synonym
⤷ "Cribrella" "laeviuscula" Whiteaves, 1878 synonym
⤷ "Henricia" "attenuata" H.L. Clark, 1901 synonym
⤷ "Henricia" "inequalis" Verrill, 1914 synonym
⤷ "Henricia" "lunula" Verrill, 1914 synonym
⤷ "Henricia" "spatulifera" Verrill, 1909 synonym
⤷ "Linckia" "leviuscula" Stimpson, 1857 synonymPacific blood star, Blood star, Blood star fish.
Distribution
Its range is from Alaska to Baja California.Status
Not listed. Predators are humans and birds.Behavior
In a study comparing seastar righting behavior the "Henricia leviuscula" twisted arms 1 and 3 toward each other, used arms 4 and 5 to support itself on the bottom of the tank, and moved arm 2 up so it was in a sitting-like position, and began to flip itself over. Overall, it had an average righting time of 15.22 minutes.Habitat
Its habitat is the intertidal zone under rocks and protected places from the low-tide line to about 400 m deep. They often have a commensal scaleworm, "Arctonoe vittata".Reproduction
Sexes are dioecious and females are not known to brood young. This statement is in conflict with other sources that state that smaller females brood their young and larger females discharge eggs directly in the water and do not brood them. This is one reason that is leading biologists to believe this is a species complex.Embryonic stages do not adhere to one another but float freely. Post-hatching larvae are ciliated and swim. Spawned eggs have been measured at 1342 μm diameter.
Evolution
Sexes are dioecious and females are not known to brood young. This statement is in conflict with other sources that state that smaller females brood their young and larger females discharge eggs directly in the water and do not brood them. This is one reason that is leading biologists to believe this is a species complex.Embryonic stages do not adhere to one another but float freely. Post-hatching larvae are ciliated and swim. Spawned eggs have been measured at 1342 μm diameter.
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