CROATIAN UNDERSEA WORLD IV, smooth sea star

nbsp;Smooth sea star (Hacelia attenuata) is a species we know little about. It is a thermophilic organism that prefers warm seas. Due to that, it is widespread in the Adriatic Sea only in its central and southern part. It can often be found in the vicinity of the outer islands – Vis, Lastovo and Mljet. It can be found in sea starting from the surface to the depth of 150 metres, at rocky soil, often in coralligenous communities, also penetrating the undersea caves. It is unknown what does it feed on, but it is likely a predator like the majority of sea stars, preying on benthic invertebrates, such as molluscs and gastropods. It spans up to 30 cm in diameter. It is predominantly bright red, with occasional occurrence of yellow specimens. The name of the species, attenuata, is related to the shape of its arms, which end in narrow tips. When in danger, it sheds some of its arms that can regenerate and create a new sea star. When the regrowing of the new limbs begins, the sea star looks like the drawing of a comet, thus giving it the so-called comet form. Ante Žuljević, senior research scientist Institute of oceanography and fisheries