Distribution: All SA coastal and gulf waters. Few SA records
Habitat: Rocky areas under rocks, or in macroalgae
Depth: Lower intertidal to 10+ metres
A juvenile
One of the many species of Meridiastra found in SA, this species is distinguished by its pale colouration, with dark red spots on the top of some of its dorsal plates. It has 6-8 arms, but is fissiparous, so it can sometimes be found with fewer arms. It is most similar to the 5-armed M. atyphoida, and shares the grey-tipped arms of that species, but can usually be distinguished by a combination of features such as the number of arms, paler colouration and the lack of the large central dark spot that M. atyphoida usually has.
