Leather Star (Dermasterias imbricata) - Stockfoto

A Leather Star (Dermasterias imbricata) navigates the rocky substrate of a Pacific Northwest tide pool, distinguished by its smooth, velvety texture that earned it its common name. This five-armed echinoderm, typically ranging from 15-20 centimeters in diameter, displays its characteristic muted coloration—varying from reddish-brown to tan or gray—which provides effective camouflage against coastal rocks and marine sediment. Unlike its more textured relatives, the Leather Star lacks prominent spines, instead featuring a sleek surface with tiny, nearly invisible pedicellariae. Found from Alaska to Baja California in intertidal and subtidal zones to depths of 90 meters, this slow-moving predator feeds primarily on sea cucumbers, sea pens, and colonial anemones, leaving behind a distinctive chemical trail that marine biologists can detect as a faint watermelon-like scent—a unique characteristic among sea stars.