Purple Sun Star
VU

Purple Sun Star

Solaster endeca

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaster_endeca

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Purple Sun Star faces significant population declines across its North Atlantic range due to sea star wasting disease, a devastating condition that causes tissue deterioration and mass mortality events. Ocean warming and acidification further stress populations by altering prey availability and affecting calcium carbonate shell formation in their mollusk prey. Commercial bottom trawling activities destroy the rocky and sandy seafloor habitats essential for this species' survival and feeding.

Threat summary

Habitat

Purple Sun Stars inhabit rocky reefs, sandy bottoms, and mixed substrates in cold temperate and subarctic waters of the North Atlantic, typically found at depths ranging from shallow intertidal zones to 480 meters. They prefer areas with strong currents that provide abundant prey including mollusks, other echinoderms, and various invertebrates.

MARINE· major

Threatened in Canada

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
EN

Lake Lamprey

Entosphenus macrostoma

Unknown
EN

Nymphaea loriana

Declining
Coregonus huntsmaniCR

Coregonus huntsmani

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Purple Sun Star classified as Vulnerable?
Purple Sun Star is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. The Purple Sun Star faces significant population declines across its North Atlantic range due to sea star wasting disease, a devastating condition that causes tissue deterioration and mass mortality events. Ocean warming and acidification further stress populations by altering prey availability and affecting calcium carbonate shell formation in their mollusk prey. Commercial bottom trawling activities destroy the rocky and sandy seafloor habitats essential for this species' survival and feeding.
Where does Purple Sun Star live?
Purple Sun Star occurs in Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, France, Greenland, and Iceland (plus 12 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Purple Sun Star?
The main threats to Purple Sun Star are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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