Sea stars are common predators of coral in the deep ocean. We observed this one feasting on a stony coral during the sixth dive of the second Voyage to the Ridge 2022 expedition at 1,755 meters (5,758 feet) depth. Sea stars feed by everting their stomachs from their mouths and extending them over corals, dining on a coral’s polyps and tissue.
Sea Star Feasting On Stony Coral
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022. Download larger version (jpg, 1.4 MB).

Sea stars are common predators of coral in the deep ocean. We observed this one feasting on a stony coral during the sixth dive of the second Voyage to the Ridge 2022 expedition at 1,755 meters (5,758 feet) depth. Sea stars feed by everting their stomachs from their mouths and extending them over corals, dining on a coral’s polyps and tissue.