The noduled sea star is a small tropical sea star measuring about 4 inches in diameter. Its flattened body generally has five triangular arms extending from a well-defined central disc.

The noduled sea star is particularly recognizable by the large raised cream-colored plates scattered across its upper surface. These rounded, slightly angular plates are larger near the center of the body and gradually decrease in size toward the tips of the arms. They generally leave a pentagonal area without plates in the center of the disc.

Its coloration is generally red to orange-red, with a distinctly red central disc. The arms are largely covered with large raised cream to off-white plates, while their tips are generally red or orange.

The noduled sea star is found in the tropical waters of the western Indian Ocean, particularly around the Seychelles, Mayotte, Réunion, the Maldives, Madagascar, and Indonesia.

The noduled sea star mainly inhabits coral reefs, lagoons, and sandy or rocky bottoms. It generally lives in shallow waters, from a few feet down to about 115 feet deep.

It can move across different types of substrate in search of food and is mainly active at night.

The diet of the noduled sea star is still poorly understood. Like other sea stars, it can evert its stomach to digest food outside its body.

The noduled sea star reproduces sexually, with separate male and female individuals. The gametes are released into seawater, where external fertilization takes place.