IMG_9331
Oregon Sea Star Pisaster ochraceus - these used to be seen in greater numbers, but a wasting disease hit the population. (This has happened before but the recent one around 2014 was very bad indeed.) As a keystone species, we hate to see large numbers of them go.. Apparently the mysterious problem cleared itself up on its own... but I can remember seeing many more such animals near the waterline on the rocks during higher tide times... than I saw today at low tide. www.oregonconservationstrategy.org/strategy-species/ochre...
In a visual similarity that has nothing whatsoever to do with convergent evolution, this particular orange sea star reminds me of the Willendorf Venus. (Info from Friends of Haystack Rock 17 May 2019: “An update from the Sea Star Survey this morning; 189 individuals counted in the survey plot, 92% of them with a 20mm radius or less & 89% of individuals counted showed no signs of wasting. So lots of healthy babies!”)
IMG_9331
Oregon Sea Star Pisaster ochraceus - these used to be seen in greater numbers, but a wasting disease hit the population. (This has happened before but the recent one around 2014 was very bad indeed.) As a keystone species, we hate to see large numbers of them go.. Apparently the mysterious problem cleared itself up on its own... but I can remember seeing many more such animals near the waterline on the rocks during higher tide times... than I saw today at low tide. www.oregonconservationstrategy.org/strategy-species/ochre...
In a visual similarity that has nothing whatsoever to do with convergent evolution, this particular orange sea star reminds me of the Willendorf Venus. (Info from Friends of Haystack Rock 17 May 2019: “An update from the Sea Star Survey this morning; 189 individuals counted in the survey plot, 92% of them with a 20mm radius or less & 89% of individuals counted showed no signs of wasting. So lots of healthy babies!”)