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It feeds on epibenthic film of organic detritus and microorganisms that grow on algae and seagrasses. They also consume sponges because they have symbiotic algae and they eat the polyps of stony corals.
You can find this echinoderm in the tropical western Indo-Pacific. In places such as Madagascar, East African Coast, The Red Sea to Aldabra, Chagos, The Seychilles, The Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Australia.
They like to hang around in lagoon areas, inner reef flats with seagrasses, and algae at depths up to 92 meters!
Spiny cushion sea stars live solitary lives. when it is time to reproduce, they gather in groups and both males and females release their gametes into the water. they combine, form eggs, and settle on the bottom. They hatch as free-swimming larvae, which drift in the water for weeks until they settle on the sea floor and transform into juvenile sea stars. After two years, they develop the characteristics of an adult and the reproductive cycle continues.
Red Cushion Sea star
J.P. Grassle. dept.lamer.edu. Lamar University. 1995. <http://dept.lamar.edu/biology/Belize%20study%20abroad/critter%20pages%2012/Taxonomy.htm>
Amsel, Sheri. “Asteroidea.” Starfish (Cushion). Exploring Nature Educational Resource. 2005 - 2014. April 10, 2014. <http://exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=43&detID=1143>
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Valvatida
Family: Oreasteridae
Genus: Culcita
It controls the make up of reefs because it preys specifically on developing colonies of the corals Pocillopora, Aeropora, porites, and faviids, allowing other corals to take hold. it also helps by clearing away detritus. it is not considered a threat to corals, because it does not predate on them too excessively. they have a commensal relationship with sea-star shrimp, which live on them.