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

Smooth Starfish

Hacelia attenuata

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 Hacelia
Species attenuata

Echinoderm

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationA medium to large starfish with five long, smooth, tapered arms and a bright orange to salmon-pink colour. The body surface is completely smooth and firm, without obvious spines or granules. Similar in shape to the purple seastar but orange.
  • SizeArm span up to 25 cm.
  • Social HabitSolitary. Found on open rocky surfaces and walls, often in exposed positions. Slow-moving.
  • HabitatRocky reefs, walls, and areas of hard substrate with good water flow. Often found on vertical and overhanging surfaces.
  • Depth10 to 100 m. Most common between 20 and 60 m.
  • Feeds OnSponges and encrusting organisms. Feeds by everting its stomach over prey.
  • DistributionMediterranean Sea and adjacent eastern Atlantic. Present in Maltese waters, mainly on deeper reefs.
  • DescriptionHacelia attenuata is a beautiful starfish found on deeper rocky reefs in Malta. Its smooth, orange body is often found on vertical walls and overhangs where it feeds on sponges. It is less commonly seen than the red starfish because it favours deeper water. Together with the purple seastar, it is one of the most colourful starfish species in the Mediterranean.

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.

Smooth Starfish species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

Predator of bivalves and gastropods on sandy and muddy substrates. Uses tube feet to prise open shells and everts its stomach to digest the soft tissue inside.

Mollusc predator

Reproduction

Broadcast spawner with separate sexes. Eggs and sperm are released into the water column, with larvae developing through a planktonic bipinnaria stage.

Broadcast spawner

Behaviour & Defence

Smooth, mucus-coated skin makes it slippery and difficult for predators to grip. Capable of arm autotomy with subsequent full regeneration.

Autotomy

Dive with diveshack

Where to Encounter in Malta

The following dive sites offer strong habitat match for Hacelia attenuata. 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