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There's plenty to see and do at the estuary.
The estuary walkway provides beautiful views, and there are signs along the way providing information about some of the birds you might see.
There is a lot of interesting wildlife at the estuary. As well as birds, the estuary is also home to some interesting plants and is an important habitat for native fish.
The Manawatū Estuary Trust enjoys giving people the opportunity to learn more about this amazing environ
Pekapeka/Indo-pacific Comb Star Astropectin polyacanthus
As its name suggests, this species inhabits the Indo-Pacific region being found from around Africa to Hawaii and from Japan, the Indonesian Islands to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
This species is typically found in shallow estuaries and harbors, at depths reaching 185 metres.. It is often a victim of dragnet fishing, which could explain why they are occasionally discovered deceased on beaches, sometimes in significant numbers.
In life, they exhibit a dark purple hue on their upper side and orange on their underparts. Their common name originates from the "spines" located on both sides of their five arms which resembles a comb.
Food consists mainly of shellfish which are swallowed whole.
iNaturalist-Indo-pacific Comb Star
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