This deep-sea mud star, Dytaster insignis, is a species which occurs in the true abyss, 2,515-3,530 meters (8,250-11,580 feet) depth! Although this individual was observed on the sediment surface during a Gulf of Mexico 2018 dive on the West Florida Escarpment, it and other related “mud star” species are often seen buried just below the surface of muddy or sandy bottoms. This and related species are commonly collected with their disks engorged with mud, as they have swallowed sediment in order to devour potential snails and clams as well as other small organisms living in the mud.
This sea star was on the move, using its tube feet to cruise along the seafloor.
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Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2018.