Apparently it's real, because after a search I was able to find one other photo of a similar starfish, listed as Daytona Beach 2004. Photo credit for this one to TheMarque.
See also this sea star.
Addendum: A hat tip to Mnkyfuc for identifying this as Astropecten articulatus (described as "very common" at 20-30m depth on the continental shelf off Charleston, S.C.). More pix at the link.
Impossibla!
ReplyDeleteLooks like some artsy-fartsy Jacques Cousteau tribute!? (Thanks spell czecher)
Damm I love Your Blog!!
It is real. It is Astropecten articulatus
ReplyDeletehttp://oceanica.cofc.edu/TRCH-Echinos/web_Seastars/page01.htm
Thanx, Mnkyfuc. I've added your info to the post.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin found some of these at Holden Beach after the last hurricane we had here. But they were already dead when she found them so she didn't harm them. I'd never seen anything like that before, they're beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting my photo!
ReplyDeleteHi there! I have been trying to figure out what kind of sea star the purple and orange ones are for more than a year, I'm glad I found your blog! Thank you. Here's a link to my blog with a great picture I took of one today. http://evervescence.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/treasures-from-the-sea/
ReplyDeleteExcellent. And thank you for throwing it back into the ocean.
ReplyDeleteMy daugher found one of these on Amelia Island's beach. It looked totally unreal even when I looked at it up close.
ReplyDeleteThey are purple sand sifting stars. yes they are real. and you can can one at a a pet store for your saltwater aquarium for around 30 dollars
ReplyDeleteI found one yesterday on jacksonile beach so I decided to look it up and I seen ur page and thats wat it looks its pretty cool :)
ReplyDeleteI found 8 of these beautiful blue and orange starfish washed up on St. Augustine, Florida beach this morning, due to tropical storm Beryl. One was still alive, so I placed her back in the water.
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous. One can't be much further from the ocean than in Wisconsin.
Deletemy wife and i found four of these in the same day on daytona beach right next to the peir
DeleteIt is very real because I just found one on the shoreline of writsville nc beach.
ReplyDeleteI just found one today on Cape San Blas Florida. I never saw one before. After a few photos I helped him back into the ocean.
ReplyDeleteI found one today :) at Daytona Beach very beautiful creature . I put him in a bucket to take pictures and placed him back in the tide
ReplyDeleteI found one yesterday on the beach at St. Augustine. I was going to put it back when I talked with one of the locals who happened to work for Marineland. He said if they are on the sand, even if they are not dead yet, they will die. We found ours in the sand. He said just to take them because otherwise they get eaten. He also said to preserve them in alcohol to try to retain the color. I could have talked with that man forever. Very knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteI found one this weekend..Daytona beach.We took it past the wave after taking pics.Making sure he would not keep washing back up on the beach.And maybe someone taking him home.So beautiful.
ReplyDelete