Feeding and distribution study of the sunflower sea star Pycnopodia helianthoides (Brandt, 1835).

Some 300 asteroids were examined at Barkley Sound, British Columbia: 220 were feeding on prey representing 11 taxa, with heaviest predation on gastropods, bivalves, and crustaceans. P. helianthoides found on soft substrates were larger than those inhabiting hard substrates. Juvenile sea stars (<5cm diameter) were found primarily at protected sites often on kelp substrate. Significant positive correlations were obtained between sea star size and prey size except in the case of the gastropod Tegula pulligo.-from Authors