Biology of Incidental Catch Sea Star Stellaster childreni Gray, 1840 (Echinodermata: Asteroidea), from Malaysian Borneo Exclusive Economic Zone

Sea star (class Asteroidea, phylum Echinodermata) is one of the most successful marine organisms inhabiting a wide range of habitats. As one of the key stone species, sea stars are responsible for maintaining much of the local diversity of species within certain communities. Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Resource Survey had been carried out from 16th Aug to 6th Nov 2015 and one of the invertebrate by-catch organisms is sea star Stellaster childreni Gray, 1840. This study documents morphological characters and diet of the sea star, besides providing brief descriptions of the habitats based on particle size analysis and vessel log data sheet. A total of 217 individuals had been examined throughout this study. Fragments of flora and fauna were found in the gut including Mollusca (gastropod, bivalves, and scaphopods), sponge seagrass, and seaweed as well as benthic Foraminifera. Stellaster childreni were found at depth of 45 m to 185 m in the South China Sea off Sarawak Malaysia, with various sea bottom substrata. Approximately 41% of S. childreni were found at a mixture of sandy and muddy substratum, followed by mixture of sandy and coral (19.3%), muddy substratum (17.5%), coral substratum (11.5%), and sandy areas (10.6%). The widely distributed sea star on different types of sea beds suggested healthy deep sea ecosystem; thus Malaysia should explore further potential fisheries resources in the EEZ off Sarawak coast.

[1]  T. Fujita,et al.  New records of sea stars (Echinodermata Asteroidea) from Malaysia with notes on their association with seagrass beds , 2014 .

[2]  J. Hamel,et al.  Trophic ecology of deep-sea Asteroidea (Echinodermata) from eastern Canada , 2013 .

[3]  F. Solís-Marín,et al.  Echinoderm Research and Diversity in Latin America , 2013, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[4]  S. Saranya,et al.  Exploration of Potential Antimicrobial Activity of Sea Star Astropecten indicus , 2012 .

[5]  C. Mah,et al.  Global Diversity and Phylogeny of the Asteroidea (Echinodermata) , 2012, PloS one.

[6]  W. Marsden.  I and J , 2012 .

[7]  P. Todd,et al.  DIET AND FEEDING IN THE SEA STAR ASTROPECTEN INDICUS (DÖDERLEIN, 1888) , 2011 .

[8]  J. Roper,et al.  The role of Asterina stellifera (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) as a predator in a rocky intertidal community in southern Brazil , 2009 .

[9]  Z. Yasin,et al.  The Diversity and Abundance of the Sea Stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)from Coral Reefs of the Central South China Sea , 2009 .

[10]  Damián G. Gil,et al.  Feeding ecology of the subantarctic sea star Anasterias minuta within tide pools in Patagonia, Argentina , 2008 .

[11]  A. Gooday,et al.  ‘Live’ (stained) deep-sea benthic foraminiferans in the western Weddell Sea: trends in abundance, diversity and taxonomic composition along a depth transect , 2004 .

[12]  M. Wolff,et al.  Feeding behaviour of the asteroid Meyenaster gelatinosus in response to changes in abundance of the scallop Argopecten purpuratus in northern Chile , 2003 .

[13]  H. S. Bhamrah,et al.  A Textbook of Invertebrates , 2002 .

[14]  E. Wood,et al.  Reef fishes, corals and invertebrates of the South China Sea : including Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines , 2002 .

[15]  J. Lubchenco,et al.  TOP‐DOWN AND BOTTOM‐UP REGULATION OF NEW ZEALAND ROCKY INTERTIDAL COMMUNITIES , 1999 .

[16]  D. Lane,et al.  The asteroid fauna (Echinodermata) of Singapore, with a distribution table and an illustrated identification to the species , 1998 .

[17]  D. Blake.  A classification and phylogeny of post-Palaeozoic sea stars (Asteroidea: Echinodermata) , 1987 .

[18]  C. Wood,et al.  The coral reefs of the Bodgaya Islands (Sabah: Malaysia) and Pulau Sipadan, 5: Fishes , 1987 .

[19]  M. Jangoux,et al.  Digestive system: Asteroidea , 1982 .