What may look like a tiny orange blob to most people looks like an exciting find to conservationists in Tasmania. Scientists recognize the “blob” for what it really is—a very rare and endangered sea star. The Threatened Species Commissioner Facebook page recently posted photos of the Tasmanian live-bearing sea star (Parvulastra vivipara), which does indeed look like a tiny orange blob.
The Tasmanian live-bearing sea star only lives in the waters of southeastern Tasmania, and the IUCN lists this species as critically endangered. Threats include predation from invasive species and habitat destruction.
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“This week I was fortunate to see some Tasmanian live-bearing sea stars in their seashore habitat near Hobart,” wrote the Threatened Species Commissioner in a post sharing photos of the animal. “These rounded pentagon shaped sea stars are being displaced by invasive species like porcelain crabs and Pacific oysters.”
What’s more, the post says urban impacts on the environment put these sea stars “at high risk of extinction.” Fortunately, scientists are on the job to alleviate one major threat, removing invasive crabs and oysters.
See the tiny orange blob that’s actually an endangered animal here:
Header iNaturalist image by Bruno Bell (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70936051)