Deep sea cherry blossom starfish

※Off display.

The deep sea cherry blossom starfish was reported as a new species in 2003. It is a large starfish of which only a few have ever been found. It inhabits the deep sea at depths from 67 to 210 meters. In Japan, it was first found offshore of Kume Island in 2008. This individual was studied in collaboration with the Japan Sea National Fisheries Research Institute and the Smithsonian Institute. In a paper published in the journal Biogeography (Volume 11, 73-76) of the Biogeographical Society of Japan it was named the “deep sea cherry blossom starfish”. In captivity, it feeds on pieces of krill, mackerel and squid. The second image shows the starfish in its natural habitat. The Churaumi Aquarium’s unmanned submarine took the photograph.