Fonzie's Legacy!

Fonzie was cool...and so is this guy...and not just because he's an invertebrate and therefore cold blooded.

The Leather star (Dermasterias imbricata) earned its name from its skin which feels like wet leather. The leather star gets its name from a few places. Dermasterius comes from the Greek derma (skin, leather) ia (a state of being); Latin imbricatus (covered with tiles or scales).

They are pretty common in our waters and are voracious hunters. (I'm not kidding here). You may think that a starfish wouldn't really be much of a predator, but you'd be thinking wrong. Sure, to us they move pretty slow...okay, REALLY slow! But don't forget, there are slower things than a starfish and as far as many invertebrates are concerned, starfish are like cheetahs (okay, maybe not quite...but you get my point!). In a nutshell, if you are a sea cucumber or a sea anemone, you are looking out for this guy and you'd better be ready to flee. When a leather star gets near to an anemone, the anemone does everything possible to protect itself from this predator. Check out this video! (I'm pretty sure that's my undergrad invertebrate classroom at UBC actually).

Unlike the purple sea star we are all familiar with (the ones the seagulls are usually trying to choke down) the Leather Star has soft, smooth rays without spines. Apparently they have a garlic odor (though I've never actually sniffed one up close and personal) maybe the anemones don't like garlic and that's why they run away (Whew! Bad Breath Buddy!)

In addition to anemones and sea cucumbers, the leather star will also happily nibble on Purple Sea Urchins and Sponges, sea pens, chitons, bryozoans, diatoms and even fish eggs.

While not a prey species for the Leather star, a strong response is also generated by swimming scallops. If you ever want to see it in action, all you need to do is find two thing....a bed of scallops...and a leather star (of course!). Pick up that starfish and wave it around the scallops and see the action begin!

Home Sweet Home

Leather Stars prefer living in low tide zones and can be found from Northern California to Baja and up into Alaskan waters. They are relatively common in our neck of the woods. While usually found on rocky spots, they can also be found in muddy or sandy areas but they do seem to prefer at least partially sheltered areas.

A Friend in Need

Like some other larger invertebrates, they are also home to some hitchhikers. The scaleworm Arctonoe vittata is a common commensal, and the worm and the sea star are mutually attracted to one another.

Last growth spurt on September 18, 2008