Hippasteria phrygiana

Trojan Star
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Valvatida
Family: Goniasteridae
Genus: Hippasteria
Species:
H. phrygiana
Binomial name
Hippasteria phrygiana
(Parelius, 1768)
Synonyms
  • Hippasteria spinosa Verrill, 1909

Hippasteria phrygiana, commonly known as the trojan star,[1] is a sea star species, a member of the Goniasteridae family.

Description and characteristics

This species grows up to 20 cm in diameter, with short arms and a large body. The upper surface is red and covered with rounded knob-like spines; the lower surface contains many macroscopic bivalved pedicellariae.

Hippasteria phrygiana attacked by Solaster dawsoni

Habitat and geographic range

This species is incredibly widely distributed: it is present in the 3 main oceanic basins.[2]

It lives mostly in cold and deep waters.[2]

Biology

This species feeds mostly on cnidarians, especially deep-sea corals.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Trojan Star (Hippasteria phrygiana)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  2. ^ a b Mah, Christopher L. (2013-02-12). "Starfish Mystery! 3 Oceans, 2 Hemispheres, but ONE species?!". The Echinoblog.
  3. ^ Mah, Christopher L. (2013-09-16). "Goniasterid Starfish LOVE to eat Octocorals!". The Echinoblog.
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