In honor of National Pasta Day, meet (and don't eat) the goniasterid sea star, Plinthaster dentatus, sometimes called a “cookie” or “ravioli” starfish.
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer operated off the southeast coast of the United States over the summer as part of the "Windows to the Deep" exploration, and scientists captured some pretty incredible images.
"...even though we are in America’s backyard, the deep sea still has many new discoveries and surprises to unveil," writes Chris Mah for NOAA.
Mah writes that this ravioli starfish was frequently encountered as scientists studied coral and other marine habits in the Atlantic Ocean, but this time around they also made numerous feeding observations.
"On one dive, we observed some very large individuals of this species perched on the surface of numerous glass sponges."
Mah also notes the "ravioli" stands out from other starfish because "the arms and disk are nearly confluent, thus presenting a more pentagonal shape relative to other sea stars."
Insider reports the exploration wrapped up in mid-July.
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