Stegnaster inflatus (Hutton, 1872)
Phylum: Echinodermata
This is not a Mollusc. Other non-Molluscan Phyla (Echinodermata, Brachiopoda etc) have been included to help identify species that may be mistaken for Mollusca, but are not.
Classification:
Echinodermata (Phylum) > Asterozoa (Subphylum) > Asteroidea (Class) > Valvatacea (Superorder) > Valvatida (Order) >
Asterinidae (Family) >
Stegnaster (Genus) > inflatus (Species)
Distribution:
Throughout NZ, 0-35 metres
Notes:
Inflated Cushion Star, Marine, Endemic, 5 arms, hightly coloured and variable, red, orange, pink, yellow, green, and sometimes mottled. Intertidal to shallow subtidal