A genus of starfish (sea stars) that includes common species like the purple sea star, characterized by typically five arms.
From Latin/Greek 'asterias' meaning starfish, derived from 'aster' meaning star, because of the creature's obvious star-like shape. Linnaeus used this classical name for the genus in his binomial taxonomy system.
The genus Asterias contains some of the most invasive starfish in the world—they can eat up to 70 clams a day and have single-handedly destroyed oyster beds, making them an unexpected example of how a beautiful animal can become an ecological disaster.
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