Cushion sea star

The cushion sea star has long arms with a firm, sturdy body. It reaches around 20 cm in width. It is found in New Caledonia, Melanesia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Japan, it is found from Yakushima Island to the main island of Okinawa on sandy bottoms at depths from 1 to 25 meters. It is less common than the horned sea star Protoreaster nodosus.  It is an uncommon sea star that changes shape considerably as it grows, and varies in appearance, which makes it difficult to classify.