Scuba Season

Spiny Starfish

Marthasterias glacialis

Sighting evidence at Lough Hyne, Ireland

Spiny Starfish

Photo: Anna Kellagher · CC BY-NC

Large predatory starfish reaching 70 cm across arms, Lough Hyne supports some of Ireland's densest aggregations. They play a key structuring role on the rocky sublittoral, preying on mussels, urchins, and slower-moving invertebrates. Their tube-foot trails are often visible on the silty bottom of the deeper basin.

Evidence at this site

9 records within 25 km

Confidence: medium

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Also seen at other sites