“Starballing”: a potential explanation for mass stranding

The common starfish Asterias rubens has a long-lived pelagic larva that is considered to be the driver for the wide dispersal of this species, as adult A. rubens are thought to be limited to slow movement. Unexplained mass beach strandings of A. rubens have been witnessed during strong wind and tide conditions. Here, we describe a new observation, “starballing,” where adult A. rubens were observed being transported with a strong tidal flow, which might explain how mass stranding occurs.