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Iconaster longimanus (Mobius, 1859)
| Family Name: | Goniasteridae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Invertebrates (Echinoderm) |
| Common Name: | Icon Star |
Name
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | Lower reef slopes and adjacent seabed. Feeds on epilithic growth on hard substrata and coral rubble. Has large eggs which show abbreviated development omitting the bipinnaria stage. Eggs and body wall possess some form of chemical defence. Available data indicate that growth rates are very slow. |
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| Habitats | Marine |
| Distribution | In recent years this sea-star has been found to be moderately common on and around many of the reefs fringing the Southern Islands, as well as the adjacent Indonesian islands of the Riau Archipelago; however in Singapore it is considered vulnerable for reasons given below. |
Conservation
| Trends & Threats | Living on and near the slopes of fringing reefs, it is directly threatened by reclamation activities and by enhanced sedimentation that reclamation causes. Additionally, its attractive appearance may lead to over-collection as a curio. |
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| Scientific Interest & Potential Value | Locally this species was initially known only from Singapore, but is now known to occur on sheltered reef slopes of islands in the Riau Archipelago on the other side of the Singapore Straits. Interestingly this sea star occurs in much deeper water (40m +) elsewhere in the West Pacific region, presumably at light levels comparable with the shallow, more turbid waters around Singapore. |
| Conservation Notes | Future land reclamation around offshore islands will, in the absence of physical collection and translocation of individuals, further deplete populations. Eco-education of divers is needed to minimize additional losses. |
Status
| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Vulnerable (VU) [2008] |
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Photos
References
| References | Davison, G.W.H., Ng, P.K.L. & Ho, H.C (Eds.). 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book (2nd Edition). Singapore: Nature Society (Singapore). 285pp |
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