Archaster typicus is a five-limbed star with long, slightly tapering arms with pointed tips.

[2] The general colour is grey or brownish, variously marked with darker and lighter patches, sometimes forming a chevron pattern.

The spines, arranged in a marginal fringe, are short, flat and blunter than A. polyacanthus and the tube feet have suckers and not points.

[3][4] Archaster typicus is found in the western Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific at depths down to 60 metres (200 ft).

The range includes the Maldive Islands, the Bay of Bengal, Singapore, northern Australia, New Caledonia, the Philippines, China, southern Japan and Hawaii.

[1][4] Larval settlement occurs among mangroves, while individuals gradually move to seagrass and sandy habitats as they age.