Five-armed reef regenerators. Lose an arm and grow it back. Eat by sliding stomach out through mouth.
Sea stars are echinoderms — related to sea urchins and crinoids, not actual fish. Most have 5 arms but some species have 7, 9 or even 40+. They move with hundreds of tiny tube feet under each arm and can regenerate lost arms (some species can regrow an entire body from a single severed arm).
Feeding is bizarre: they evert their stomach through their mouth and digest prey externally, then retract the stomach back inside. The blue Linckia, red knobbed sea star, and pincushion star are common Indo-Pacific species.
The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a notorious coral-killing outbreak species — populations periodically explode and devour entire reefs. Andaman, Maldives, Bali and Red Sea all have multiple harmless species.
Tap a month to highlight it across destinations, or hover any cell for details.
18 destinations across Goa, Andamans, SE Asia, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, East Africa — peak seasons vary by location, so plan your trip around the right destination AND the right month.
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Oct–Dec · 12 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Dec · 30 sites
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Nov · 35 sites
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Feb–Sep · 25 sites
Tier 1Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Nov–Dec · 40 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Nov–Dec · 15 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Nov · 25 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Dec · 30 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Oct–Dec · 25 sites
Tier 2Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Sep–Dec · 20 sites
Tier 4Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Oct–Dec · 15 sites
Tier 3Starfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Nov · 40 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Feb, Jul–Dec · 22 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–Oct · 12 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–May, Nov–Dec · 20 sites
Tier 3Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Mar–Oct · 18 sites
Tier 4Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Apr–May, Sep–Nov · 30 sites
Tier 4Coming soonStarfish (Sea Stars) here: Jan–Apr, Oct–Dec · 50 sites
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