Depth
Echinaster · Echinoderms (Starfish, Urchins & Brittle Stars)

Red Starfish

Echinaster sepositus

0-40m
Depth Range
Variable
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
0-40m
Depth Range
Variable
Max Size
Reef & Open
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
LC
IUCN Status
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Genus Echinaster
Species sepositus

Echinoderm

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationA medium-sized starfish with five arms and a vivid bright red to orange-red colour. The body surface is smooth and slightly slimy. One of the most recognisable and commonly photographed echinoderms in the Mediterranean.
  • SizeArm span up to 20 cm. Typically 10 to 15 cm.
  • Social HabitSolitary. Slow-moving. Found on open rocky surfaces, under overhangs, and on Posidonia seagrass. Not afraid of light and often found in exposed positions.
  • HabitatRocky reefs, seagrass meadows, and mixed substrates. One of the most visible starfish on shallow Mediterranean reefs.
  • Depth1 to 250 m. Most common between 5 and 40 m.
  • Feeds OnSponges, detritus, biofilm, and encrusting organisms. Digests food externally by everting its stomach over prey.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to the Azores, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Common in Maltese waters.
  • DescriptionEchinaster sepositus is one of the first animals new divers learn to recognise in Malta. Its bright red colour stands out on any background and it makes no attempt to hide. The vivid colour is thought to serve as a warning to predators that its body contains distasteful chemical compounds. A healthy population of red starfish is a good indicator of reef condition.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found across the Mediterranean, inhabiting reef & open environments. Active from the surface down to 40m depth.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Reef & Open habitats, typically at depths of 0-40m. Most commonly encountered by divers at the shallower end of its range.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Red Starfish species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

Predatory, feeding on sponges, bryozoans, and other encrusting invertebrates on rocky substrates. Everts its stomach to digest sessile prey externally.

Encrusting predator

Reproduction

Sexes are separate, spawning synchronously during late spring and summer. Planktonic larvae settle on hard substrates after several weeks.

Broadcast spawner

Behaviour & Defence

Rough, calcified upper surface embedded with small spines discourages many predators. Can shed and regenerate arms if attacked.

Calcified skin

Dive with diveshack

Where to Encounter in Malta

The following dive sites offer strong habitat match for Echinaster sepositus. All are accessible on a guided dive with diveshack.

5-30m
North Malta

Cirkewwa

Rocky reef with caves, arches and ledges hosting a rich diversity of reef species.

View dive site ›
5-50m
Gozo

Blue Hole

One of the Med's most famous reef dive sites. Rocky walls and archways covered in life.

View dive site ›
18-36m
South Malta

Um El Faroud

The wreck lies on a sandy bottom surrounded by rocky reef -- a diverse habitat attracting reef species.

View dive site ›
IUCN Red List Least Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes to prey availability.

Source: iNaturalist Guide #888
by Lesley Clements (CC BY-SA)
diveshack Mediterranean Marine Life guide