Extraordinary Echinoderms

An interactive guide to the sea stars, brittle stars, feather stars, sea eggs, and sea cucumbers (echinoderms) of New Zealand.

Echinoderms are an extraordinary and diverse group of invertebrates found around our coastline, in the shallow intertidal zone, at snorkelling and diving depths, and down in the deepest trenches and abyssal plains of our oceans. 

Now you can identify them in the field with Extraordinary Echinoderms, a fully illustrated interactive pdf with high-quality images of the animals in life. Just click on an image in the morphology index and you will be taken to a species page packed with information, beautiful photos and icons to simplify identification. 

New species are added as they are available, so marine creature spotters, please send us your images to be considered for up and coming versions! 

Download

Crispin Middleton, NIWA
Diadema palmeri Baker, 1967. [Crispin Middleton, NIWA]
Crispin Middleton, NIWA
Coastal sea stars and sea eggs. [Crispin Middleton, NIWA]
Andy Millar, NIWA
The ambush starfish, Stegnaster inflatus (Hutton, 1872). [Andy Millar, NIWA]
Peter Marriott, NIWA
Banded snake star Asteroporpa (Asteroporpa) australiensis (H. L. Clark, 1909). [Peter Marriott, NIWA]