September star

  

Nice view of a Forbes' Sea Star (Asterias forbesi) in a shallow tidepool in Scituate, Massachusetts, on 20 September 2025.

Eric was able to zoom in for an amazing closeup, too:

 

 

Visible above are short white calcareous spines, the orange madreporite (sometimes called a sieve plate, which is an opening to the water vascular system), and the transparent papulae (finger-like projections involved in gas exchange).  

Thanks for the great photos, Eric!