Purple spines

We have some exciting marine invertebrate discoveries to share, but I need a little time to sort through the photos.

For now, I'll share one of my favorite pictures from a tidepooling excursion today:

 

This is a small juvenile Giant Sea Star (Pisaster giganteus).  It was only ~6 cm (2.3 inches) across.  Can you see the short, purple-colored spines?  [Click on the photo for a slightly larger version.]  That's one way to differentiate a Giant Sea Star from an Ochre Sea Star.

For some close-up images of Giant Sea Star spines, review the post from 26 April 2013.