User:Jbeeck13/new sandbox

Pentaceraster cumingi Notes
Description and Distribution/Habitat --> Threats

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2336044#page/310/mode/1up -- page 276

- Rather narrow arms that are about the length of body diameter

- Inhabits rocky terrain

- Conical bumps along its body

https://link-springer-com.proxy.lib.iastate.edu/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-20051-9_8

https://link-springer-com.proxy.lib.iastate.edu/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-20051-9_2

- Tropical Eastern Pacific --> very diverse, currents come together and upwelling

- Rocky habitat

- Found in Gulf of California

- Found in northern Peru

Distribution and Habitat
Pentaceraster cumingi is found along the coasts of the Tropical Eastern Pacific. Technically this area is considered to be from northern Costa Rica to southern Ecuador. However, Pentaceraster cumingi range is from as far north as the Gulf of California and as far south as the coast of northern Peru The Tropical Eastern Pacific is well know for its biodiversity. Multiple factors allow for this including the combination of several currents in this area and the upwelling of nutrient rich water along the coastline. They inhabit the shallow sub-tidal zone, usually within a rocky terrain.

Ornamentation
Pentaceraster cumingi is commonly used for ornamentation and sold as souvenirs in Peru and Mexico. The Pentaceraster cumingi population size has greatly decreased in Peru because of their use as souvenirs, and Pentaceraster cumingi is now considered close to extinction in this country. There is no current population size estimate for the Pentaceraster cumingi in Mexico.