Ochre star
Pisaster ochraceus (Brandt, 1835)
Status not recordedechinoderms
The ochre star (Pisaster ochraceus) is an echinoderm in the family Asteriidae, order Forcipulatida and class Asteroidea. It is also called the purple star, ochre sea star or purple sea star.
Quick facts about the ochre star
The species was named by Brandt in 1835 and is listed as living, not extinct, by the Catalogue of Life.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the ochre star
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Where does the ochre star live?
Not recorded
What is the ochre star?
Pisaster ochraceus, generally known as the purple sea star, ochre sea star, or ochre starfish, is a common seastar found among the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Identified as a keystone species, P. ochraceus is considered an important indicator for the health of the intertidal zone.
From the Wikipedia article “Pisaster ochraceus” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pisaster_ochraceus&oldid=1378345328), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the ochre star endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the ochre star classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumEchinodermata
- classAsteroidea
- orderForcipulatida
- familyAsteriidae
- genusPisaster
- SpeciesPisaster ochraceus (Brandt, 1835)
Synonyms Asteracanthion margaritifer, Asterias conferta, Asterias fissispina, Asterias ianthina, Asterias janthina, Asterias margaritifera, Asterias margaritifera, Asterias ochracea, Pisaster confertus, Pisaster fissispinus, Pisaster ochraceus ochraceus, Pisaster ochraceus segnis, Pisaster ochraceus var. nodiferus
Other names and names in other languages (10)
- Ochre sea starEnglish
- Ochre starsEnglish
- Purple sea starEnglish
- Purple starEnglish
- بنجم البحر الأرجوانيArabic
- estrella ocre de marSpanish
- Stella di mare ocraItalian
- Stella di mare violaItalian
- Stella marina violaItalian
- Stella viola del PacificoItalian
Relatives of the ochre star
Other species in the same genus Pisaster.
Giant sea star
Pisaster giganteus
Pink stars
Pisaster brevispinus
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the ochre star?
The ochre star is an echinoderm, an invertebrate in the class Asteroidea and the family Asteriidae.
What is the scientific name of the ochre star?
The scientific name of the ochre star is Pisaster ochraceus, in the genus Pisaster.
Who named the ochre star and when?
The ochre star was named by Brandt in 1835, written as (Brandt, 1835).
What other names does the ochre star have?
The ochre star is also called the purple star, ochre sea star and purple sea star.
Is the ochre star extinct?
No, the ochre star is a living species, not extinct, according to the Catalogue of Life.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Ochre star (Pisaster ochraceus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/ochre-star
“Ochre star (Pisaster ochraceus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/ochre-star.
@misc{ochre_star_2026,
title = {Ochre star (Pisaster ochraceus)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/ochre-star},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}