📸 PhotoPhoto: miya · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Blue bat star
Patiria pectinifera (Blue bat star · イトマキヒトデ)
Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its largest size of 75 mm is larger than the short side of a credit card (about 54 mm) and smaller than the long side (about 86 mm) (Comparison).
- 💡 It is one of the starfish most commonly encountered on shallow coastal rocks and sandy bottoms (National List of Species of Korea).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The blue bat star is one of the most common starfish in Korea, living on rocky reefs, sand, and muddy bottoms in shallow seas.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its star-shaped body measures 30–75 mm across, with a slightly rounded back and a flat underside. The upper side has irregular red or orange markings on a dark indigo background, while the underside is mostly bright orange. It usually has 5 arms with pointed tips.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It preys on young bivalves (shellfish). It lives in rocky, sandy, and muddy areas of shallow seas.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It is listed on the National List of Species of Korea and is one of the most commonly seen starfish species in Korea.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List: not evaluated (NE) — cross-checked with the Wikidata conservation-status entry
- • marinespecies.org — aphia.php
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000223536 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000223536
- • wikidata.org — Q3200306
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Asterina pectinifera ja01.jpg
- • species.nibr.go.kr — mainHome.do
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Kanchi Nanjo · CC0 1.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.