Necklace sea star on a magnificent sea anemone near Sipadan Island, Borneo

Necklace sea star on a magnificent sea anemone near Sipadan Island, Borneo

The colouration of this necklace sea star reminds us a bit of the red and white of a candy cane. And we’re not alone in making that association—one of the lesser-used common names for the animal is the peppermint sea star. Living in shallow waters of the Indian and western Pacific oceans, its colouration can vary from what’s shown here, with brilliant orange and pale-yellow combinations in place of the red and white seen here.