---
title: "Zonnebloemster"
description: "Pycnopodia helianthoides — Andere dieren. Pycnopodia helianthoides, commonly known as the sunflower sea star, is a large sea star found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/nl/animal/sunflower-sea-star
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Zonnebloemster

> Pycnopodia helianthoides — Andere dieren. Pycnopodia helianthoides, commonly known as the sunflower sea star, is a large sea star found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

- Scientific name: *Pycnopodia helianthoides*
- Category: `other` (Andere dieren)
- Habitats: `sea` (Zee en kust)
- iNaturalist observations: 5023
- Wikidata: [Q1857023](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1857023)
- iNaturalist taxon: [47673](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47673)

## Names

- en: Sunflower Sea Star
- es: Estrella girasol
- nl: Zonnebloemster
- pl: Rozgwiazda gigantyczna

## Countries with the most observations

US (2625), CA (2181)

## Summary

Pycnopodia helianthoides, commonly known as the sunflower sea star, is a large sea star found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The only species of its genus, it is among the largest sea stars in the world, with a maximum arm span of 1 m (3.3 ft). Adult sunflower sea stars usually have 16 to 24 limbs. They vary in color. Sunflower sea stars are predatory and carnivorous, feeding mostly on sea urchins, clams, sea snails, and other small invertebrates. Although the species was widely distributed throughout the northeast Pacific, its population rapidly declined from 2013. The sunflower sea star is classified as Critically…

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

## Photo

![Zonnebloemster](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/sunflower-sea-star/medium.jpg)

Photo: Zoe Denckla · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/367171543

## Machine access

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