The process of reproduction is a continuous one and begins when the female pumps eggs out through the osculum. The males then spawn. The fertilized eggs float to the surface of the water. They are bright orange or yellow and measure 1.5mm in diameter. Each egg is covered with a coat of jelly, and the fertilization membrane can be seen beneath it. The egg then goes through several transformations in the plankton, and the five primordial arms appear simultaneously. Immediately, the larva sinks to the bottom and ends its planktonic life. The star can then crawl. Metamorphosis takes a total of aproximately thirty days.