Echinoderm

Giant-spined star

Pisaster giganteus

Rocky bottoms, kelp forests, and pier pilings; sometimes sandy bottoms

Photo: (c) anoleinwoods, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY · Source and license. Displayed as a resized crop. Photograph illustrates the species.

Habitat: Rocky bottoms, kelp forests, and pier pilings; sometimes sandy bottoms
Published depth range: Low intertidal to 90 m
Viewing activities: Scuba diving · Beach / tidepool

What to look for

Large pale spines ringed in blue or purple on thick arms.

What it eats

Bottom-dwelling invertebrates, including snails, chitons, barnacles, and bivalves.

Wider distribution

Vancouver Island to Cedros Island, Baja California.

When to look

The available records do not establish a reliable local viewing season. Use the map’s month filter to inspect dated observations; it does not predict an encounter.

RECORDED PRESENCE

Where has Giant-spined star been recorded?

These destination links use the same area and date cutoff as the map: 40 km circles, except for the four named regional rectangles. Checked 2026-09-19. Counts describe source records, not individual animals or sighting odds.

Channel IslandsCalifornia, United States40 km radius · 35219 source records since 2016About this destination →La JollaCalifornia, United States40 km radius · 846 source records since 2016About this destination →Monterey BayCalifornia, United StatesRegional rectangle · 64378 source records since 2016About this destination →

Sources, search boundaries and limitations