A colorful West Indian starfish, Oreaster reticulatus, crawls over a shallow, sandy seafloor in Turneffe Atoll in the Caribbean Sea. This reef is part of the massive Mesoamerican Reef System, the second largest barrier reef on Earth.

animal animal themes animals in the wild aquatic asteroidea atlantic ocean beauty in nature belize blue hole bright caribbean caribbean sea caye central america color color image colorful cushion starfish day echinoderm fish eye lens half moon caye horizontal idyllic invertebrate lighthouse reef marine biology natural light no people ocean ocean floor omnivore one animal oreaster reticulatus outdoors over under photography pristine red cushion sea star refraction rippled sand sea sea life sea stars seabed seascape serene solitude split star shape starfish sunlight sunrays sunshine tranquil scene tranquility transparent turneffe atoll undersea underwater valvatida water west indian sea star wilderness wildlife zoology