Parvulastra vivipara

Parvulastra vivipara
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Valvatida
Family: Asterinidae
Genus: Parvulastra
Species:
P. vivipara
Binomial name
Parvulastra vivipara
(Dartnall, 1969)
Synonyms
  • Patiriella vivipara Dartnall, 1969

Parvulastra vivipara, the Tasmanian live-bearing seastar, is a tiny, uniformly orange-yellow seastar, ranging between 15 mm (0.6 in) and 30 mm (1.18 in) in diameter. The species is typically a rounded, pentagonal shape, but some individuals can be found with three, four or six arms. It is endemic to littoral waters in southeast Tasmania.

Parvulastra vivipara is one of only six known species of seastars to give birth viviparously. The species was added to the IUCN Red List in 2023. It is currently listed as Critically Endangered.