Odontaster validus

Odontaster validus have 5 short rays and a wide disk, total size up to 10 cm in diameter. Body color varies from pink to red ^[1] .

Odontaster validus is one of the most common starfish in Antarctica, found at depths of up to 900 m in cold waters near Antarctica, including the Antarctic Peninsula , South Georgia Islands, South Shetland Islands , South Orkney Islands , Shag Rocks , Prince Edward Islands ( South Africa ) and Bouvet Island ^[2] .

By type of food, Odontaster validus is a predator and scavenger. It consumes as food all that is found on the seabed, including carrion, the remains of various animals, detritus , seal excrement, red algae , bivalves (“attack” their dense settlements, called “ mussel banks ”, Mytilidae ), sponges , hydroids , other starfish (they attack sea anemones and other types of starfish), sea urchins, isopods , bryozoans , amphipods , crustacean larvae, shell crustaceans , shrimp and diatoms ^[2] . Ecologically important species that controls the abundance of stars of the species Acodontaster conspicuus ^[3] . Development to full maturity takes from 3 to 6 years, but the total life expectancy can reach 100 years ^[2] . A low metabolic rate allows you to survive in cold waters at zero and minus temperatures (–1.8 ° C). Oogenesis occurs from August to February, eggs develop about 18 months ^[4] .

Odontaster validus do not “attack” individuals of their species, but they can “attack” representatives of other starfish species, apparently distinguishing them using chemoreceptors ^[5] .