Like many of the stars, this uncommon small species is quite variable in color. They look like published figures of Aquilonastra cepheus but our photos are mostly not close enough to see the spinlet structure that would confirm the ID. This page does show one photo zoomed in and sharpened that does give an indication of the spinlet structure, but specimens from the Marshalls would need to be examined by experts to see if they are really the same species. O'Loughlin & Rowe (2006) do not mention the Marshalls when listing the distribution of A. cepheus but they do include "W Pacific Ocean" so we will use that name. These stars usually live under rocks on lagoon pinnacle and seaward reefs.
Underside of the previous specimen.
This larger, sharpened photo provides a view of the spinelets, which I think do resemble those of A. cepheus figured in O'Loughlin & Rowe (2006).
Updated 3 December 2020
Updated 8 February 2024