Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Paulia horrida
Prickly sea star
A five-armed sea star with numerous conical, sharp pointed spines on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the arms and large central disk.
Found on rocky substrates. Depth: 24-91 m.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Echinodermata
Class
Asteroidea
Order
Valvatida
Family
Asterodiscididae
Genus
Paulia
Species
horrida
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Goniodiscus horridus Müller & Troschel, 1842, Nidorellia horrida Perrier, 1875, Pauliella aenigma Ludwig, 1905, fide Horton et al. (2021)
Origin: Native
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Perú, Clarion and Cocos Islands, Ecuador includign Galapagos Islands
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2008) A field guide to corals and other radiates of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 162 pp.
- Horton, T. Horton, T., Kroh, A., Ahyong, S., Bailly, N., Boyko, C. B., Brandão, S. N., Gofas, S., Hooper, J. N. A., Hernandez, F., Holovachov, O., Mees, J., Molodtsova, T. N., Paulay, G., Decock, W., Dekeyzer, S., Poffyn, G., Vandepitte, L., Vanhoorne, B., Adlard, R., ... Zhao, Z. (2021) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.
- Maluf, L.Y. (1991) Echinoderm Fauna of the Galápagos Islands. In: James, M.J. (ed.): Galápagos Marine Invertebrates. Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Evolution in Darwin's Islands. Plenum Press, New York and London, p. 345-367.
- Sonnenholzner, J. Brand, M., Francisco, V., Hearn, A., Luzuriaga, M., Guarderas, P & Navarro, J. (2013) Echinoderms of Ecuador. In: Alvarado, J & Solís-Marín, A. (eds.) (2013) Echinoderm research and Diversity in Latin America. 183-233 pp.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Paulia horrida", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=8555. Accessed 31 October 2026.