“…Leptasterias occur in rocky intertidal and subtidal habitats, typically measure less than 6 cm from ray tip to ray tip (Chia, 1966; Fisher, 1930; Niesen, 1973), and mature around 2 years of age (Menge, 1974). Leptasterias are lecithotrophic and females brood their young underneath their rays until the fully developed juveniles crawl away to disperse (Barreto & Bauer, 2019; Chia, 1966; Menge, 1975). Due to their brooding life history and small size, these sea stars have limited dispersal to new sites.…”