A stiff rigid starfish with a sandpapery texture to the dorsal surface. This species comes in a variety of colour forms, purple being the most common. It is only distinguished from the next species by the very fine dorsal spinelets which have 3-6 glassy points. Usually about 12cm across. It may be impossible to distinguish this species from Henricia oculata except in the laboratory.

Baltic sea, Bay of Biscay, Boreal Arctic, British Isles, Calais, Cape Hatteras, Cobscook Bay, Denmark, East Coast of United States of America, Faeroes, Faroe Islands, French Exclusive Economic Zone [Atlantic part], Greenlandic Exclusive Economic Zone, Hebrides, Iceland, Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone, Indo-Pacific, Irish Exclusive economic Zone, Kattegat, Kola Bay, North Sea, North West Atlantic, North West Scotland, Northumberland, Norway, Orkney, Saguenay Fjord, Sargasso Sea, Scandinavia, Scotland, Shetlands, Spitsbergen, Trondheim, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone, United States Exclusive Economic Zone [Atlantic part], West Coast of England, West Coast of Norway , Wimereux

Henricia sanguinolenta is most often found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. It can be seen from Greenland to Cape Hatteras on the western side of the Atlantic. It is frequently found on the west coast of Scotland.

Biogeographic Regions: atlantic ocean (Native ); pacific ocean (Native )

Arctic to Cape Hatteras

From low intertidal to 50 m depth, typical of the algal zone. British distribution not completely known, but it certainly occurs in Orkney, Shetland and north-east Scotland.

A northern species in the British Isles probably occurring with Henricia oculata on the west coast of Scotland.

Henricia sanguinolenta can be found in a variety of different colors, but it is very often seen in a rich red color, which is how it acquired the common name of blood star. It can also be colored purple, lavender, orange, or yellow. A similar species, Henricia oculata is almost indistinguishable from H. sanguinolenta, but has the spines on the former's dorsum are blunt. The blood star grows to a diameter of 7 to 10 centimeters. It has five rays or arms which taper evenly to the tips, no marginal plates, two tube foot rows, and no pedicellaria. Henricia sanguinolenta has a sandpapery texture and fine spinelets with 3 to 6 glassy points on its dorsal surface. The sides of it arms are curved smoothly, with no clear distinction between dorsal and ventral surface, and each has a narrow ambulacral groove which contains the tube feet.

Range length: 7 to 10 cm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; radial symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

The blood star can often be found along the shore, on or beneath rocks and on gravel. It may live in a somewhat exposed habitat, and is often found living in the midst of some species of sponges. Henricia sanguinolenta can inhabit shallow waters and ranges down as deep as 365 m.

Range depth: 365 (high) m.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; polar ; saltwater or marine

Aquatic Biomes: benthic ; coastal

Found at depths of 0-2414 m. Prefer rock and algae covered substrate.

Depth range based on 852 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 473 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): -3 - 3437
  Temperature range (°C): -1.315 - 24.323
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.757 - 43.616
  Salinity (PPS): 31.813 - 36.439
  Oxygen (ml/l): 0.303 - 8.023
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.118 - 3.251
  Silicate (umol/l): 1.328 - 134.446

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): -3 - 3437

Temperature range (°C): -1.315 - 24.323

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.757 - 43.616

Salinity (PPS): 31.813 - 36.439

Oxygen (ml/l): 0.303 - 8.023

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.118 - 3.251

Silicate (umol/l): 1.328 - 134.446
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Occurs in a variety of moderately exposed and exposed habitats on rocks and amongst hydroids, sponges, etc.

This species of sea star feeds on suspended material using the filter-feeding, but also sometimes consumes the tissues of sponges, ascidians and other sessile invertebrates.

Animal Foods: cnidarians; other marine invertebrates

Other Foods: detritus

Foraging Behavior: filter-feeding

Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats other marine invertebrates); planktivore

Broods young. Spring

Henricia sanguinolenta is considered a stable gonochoric. In other words, it has separate sexes and the ratio of the sexes is approximately equal. This species generally reproduces between the months of February and May. It migrates into shallower, warmer water during the breeding season. Its eggs are kept beneath the disk of the sea star to incubate. The female deposits her eggs on the ocean floor and situates herself over the eggs with her body raised for three weeks. The eggs are covered in sticky mucus, so they remain tightly together. The parent fasts during this brooding period as well.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); oviparous

This species is one of the few sea stars that broods its eggs until they become independent. The larvae of H. sanguinolenta do not go through the free-swimming larval stage as most sea star larvae do. They continue to live enlosed in the dome created by the parent's arms until they grow into tiny sea stars that can survive on their own.

Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Female)

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Species: 3
Species With Barcodes: 1

Henricia sanguinolenta is not considered an endangered or threatened species.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

There are no known adverse effects of Henricia sanguinolenta on humans.

Henricia sanguinolenta does not have any substantial direct impacts on human prosperity or health. It is known to feed on to feed on invasive species of ascidians in North America (Djikstra et al., 2006). It is nonetheless a bright and colorful seastar that can be viewed by visitors along the shore line.