During the first dive of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition, we saw this goniasterid sea star feeding on a predatory sponge in the family Cladorhizidae, a behavior that none of our participating scientists had previously observed. Sea stars feed by extending their stomachs in a gradual, but deliberate process that can take days, months, weeks, or even years. This was one of only a few sea star observations made during the dive.
Sea Star Feeding
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).

During the first dive of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition, we saw this goniasterid sea star feeding on a predatory sponge in the family Cladorhizidae, a behavior that none of our participating scientists had previously observed. Sea stars feed by extending their stomachs in a gradual, but deliberate process that can take days, months, weeks, or even years. This was one of only a few sea star observations made during the dive.

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