Five-armed reef regenerators. Lose an arm and grow it back. Eat by sliding stomach out through mouth.
Sea stars are echinoderms, related to sea urchins and crinoids, not actual fish. Most have 5 arms but some species have 7, 9 or even 40+. They move with hundreds of tiny tube feet under each arm and can regenerate lost arms (some species can regrow an entire body from a single severed arm).
Feeding is bizarre: they evert their stomach through their mouth and digest prey externally, then retract the stomach back inside. The blue Linckia, red knobbed sea star, and pincushion star are common Indo-Pacific species.
The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a notorious coral-killing outbreak species, populations periodically explode and devour entire reefs. Andaman, Maldives, Bali and Red Sea all have multiple harmless species.
Tap a month to highlight it across destinations, or hover any cell for details.
18 destinations across Goa, Andamans, SE Asia, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, East Africa, peak seasons vary by location, so plan your trip around the right destination AND the right month.
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Oct–Dec · 12 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Dec · 30 sites
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Nov · 35 sites
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Feb–Sep · 25 sites
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Nov–Dec · 40 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Nov–Dec · 15 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Nov · 25 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Dec · 30 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Oct–Dec · 25 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Sep–Dec · 20 sites
Tier 4Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Oct–Dec · 15 sites
Tier 3Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Nov · 40 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Feb, Jul–Dec · 22 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Oct · 12 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Nov–Dec · 20 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Mar–Oct · 18 sites
Tier 4Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–May, Sep–Nov · 30 sites
Tier 4Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Oct–Dec · 50 sites
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