Phataria unifascialis is a species of starfish in the family Ophidiasteridae. It is sometimes known as the blue seastar or tan starfish, but both these names are also used for other species (e.g., blue seastar for Linckia laevigata). It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean where it ranges from the Gulf of California and Magdalena Bay (Mexico) to northwest Peru, including various eastern Pacific island groups such as the Galápagos.James, M.J., eds. (1991). Galápagos Marine Invertebrates: Taxonomy, Biogeography, and Evolution in Darwin's Islands. pp. 349. Topics in Geobiology. It remains fully active at temperatures down to , but becomes inactive when it drops to .Morgana, M.B.; and D.L. Cowles (1997). The effects of temperature on the behaviour and physiology of Phataria unifascialis (Gray) (Echinodermata, Asteroidea) implications for the species' distribution in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 208(1-2): 13–27. It reaches a diameter of about .MexFish: Tan Starfish, Tan Sea Star, Estrella de Mar (Phataria unifascialis) . Retrieved 12 December 2015.
Distribution in Panama
In Panama this species has been collected from Monte Island (USNM E 11842), Pearl Islands Archipelago (USNM E 7595) and Taboga Island (USNM 39144), Taboguilla Island (USNM E 11832, depth 12 m), Culebra Island (USNM E 37379, USNM E 37377; Centroid Latitude: 8.9133, Centroid Longitude: -79.5317), Venado Island (USNM E 37376; Centroid Latitude: 8.8792, Centroid Longitude: -79.59583), Perico Island (USNM E 35150), Gulf of Panama, eastern Pacific.Phataria unifascialis Encyclopedia of Life
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