The common sunstar is named after the fact that it looks like a sun with its 8 to 14 arms. Its colorful, sunny appearance makes you think it has a nice character, but nothing is farther from the truth. It is a fearsome predator, which scares the daylights out of common starfish and other smaller marine animals. The common sunstar is quite fast for a starfish, reaching top speeds of 70 centimeters per minute. There are films where you see how brittle stars and sea urchins run away as soon as a sunstar is in the vicinity. If they are not fast enough, they are inevitably consumed.