Leptasterias pusilla

Leptasterias pusilla is a species that belongs to the Leptasterias genus group and is commonly known as a small, six-rayed sea star. Some scientists also call this species "L. aequalis D", but this name is currently debatable due to taxonomy complexity. Leptasterias pusilla used to be a prevalent species along the California coastline; it's especially concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, due to various reasons, such as Invertebrate mass mortality on rocky coasts, and Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD) in the year of 2013, the population of the Leptasterias pusilla had declined significantly.