Eremicaster vicinus Ludwig 1907

“Besides the absence of actinal interradial spinelets, vicinus has two characteristics which easily separate it from pacificus. One of those is found in the adambulacral spines, which are very small (short and slender) and are placed close together at the adoral end of the plate, while the other and more conspicuous is in the spinulation of the oral plates, which have only one, or sometimes two minute conical spinelets near the center of the margin, instead of 2-5 large, flat spines occupying practically the entire margin.” (Clark, 1920, p. 77-78)

“Disc large, rather flat, arms slender with upturned tips. Disc membranous, with small, distinct, widely isolated round or oval plates, these most obvious on disc centre interradially, absent or very few and scattered and indistinct from arm base to arm tip. Some plates…with a single, slender, hyaline, tapering, generally sharp-tipped, spine. Small plates, sometimes visible along arms, without spines. …Three cribriform organs in each interradius; each consists of 8-12 thin lamelliform sheets of membrane-covered spines. Organs bordered by broad, conspicuous spines which form a well defined palisade on either side. Cribriform organs in angle adjacent to madreporite; slightly larger...Tubefeet well developed, no suckers, in 2 rows in wide grooves.” (Clark, 2000, p. 119-120).

Color: "...dried from alcohol, is white or grey, with darker cribriform organs and tubefeet." (Clark, 2000, p. 120).

In 1981, Eremicaster vicinus held the record for deepest known sea star, at a depth of 7,245 meters. (Lambert, 1981, p. 5).

Chile Central

Cosmopolitan (World Oceans)

Indian Ocean (A.M. Clark, 1989).