---
title: "Velvet Sea Star"
description: "Petricia vernicina — Other animals. Petricia vernicina, the velvet seastar, is a sea star in the family Asteropseidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/velvet-sea-star
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Velvet Sea Star

> Petricia vernicina — Other animals. Petricia vernicina, the velvet seastar, is a sea star in the family Asteropseidae.

- Scientific name: *Petricia vernicina*
- Category: `other` (Other animals)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 1360
- Wikidata: [Q2282323](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2282323)
- iNaturalist taxon: [355870](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/355870)

## Names

- en: Velvet Sea Star

## Countries with the most observations

AU (1299), NZ (6)

## Summary

Petricia vernicina, the velvet seastar, is a sea star in the family Asteropseidae. It is found in Australia, from Caloundra in Queensland south to Tasmania and west to the Houtman Abrolhos (an island chain off Western Australia), as well as at the Kermadec Islands. It lives at depths ranging between the ocean's surface and 60 metres (197 ft). It feeds on lace coral, sea squirts, and sponges.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petricia_vernicina

## Photo

![Velvet Sea Star](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/velvet-sea-star/medium.jpg)

Photo: Joshua S. Martin · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/204532624

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/velvet-sea-star?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).