The Natural History of the Thread Starfish

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Introduction

This blog tells the story of the discovery, examination and classification of a new order of Starfish, Linumasteroideae, the Thread Starfish. These rare and localised species of starfish are found only along the north coast of Norfolk.

First Examination

27 April 2007 22:25

I laid what seems to be the skeletonised limb of a very large starfish out on a nearby patch of sand, to make a cursory analysis. It appears to be a thread starfish, of a type unknown to me.

Field sketch of the starfish

Measurements:-
51cm in length
Tapers in width from 15cm to 3cm

Appearance:-
The tip is a circle with a 16mm looped border
Progressively wider semi-circles along the length, with a 16mm looped border increasing to 23mm
The skeleton appears to be made from a fine coarse white fibre

Further analysis of the thread and structure will need to be carried out in the lab.