Panamic cushion star, Cortez starfish, Knobby star
Pentaceraster cumingi, sometimes known as the Panamic cushion star, Cortez starfish or knobby star (a name also used for other species), is a species of starfish in the family Oreasteridae. It is found in warmer parts of the East Pacific (Gulf of California to northwest Peru, including offshore islands like the Galápagos) and in Hawaii. In Panama this species has been collected from the Pearl Islands (depth 8 m), Gulf of Panama, and off Coiba Island, Gulf of Chiriqui. It reaches a diameter of about 30 cm (12 in).
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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P. cumingi is found along the coasts of the Tropical Eastern Pacific and beyond, ranging as far north as the Gulf of California and as far south as the coast of northern Peru. It inhabits the shallow sub-tidal zone, usually in rocky terrain.
P. cumingi primarily feeds by scavenging and through a carnivorous diet. Its diet consists of ocean floor algae, microscopic organisms, and seagrass. On occasion, P. cumingi has been known to eat other echinoderms.
P. cumingi reproduces either sexually or asexually. It is gonochoric (having separate sexes). Asexual reproduction, which results in a clonal offspring, occurs by fission, splitting the central disc.
