It is native to the Pacific Ocean and is found in deep water off the coast of North America (it was discovered at Davidson Seamount).

[2] Bathyporania ascendens has a classical starfish shape with five short arms, a somewhat inflated body and is of pale color.

The oral surface is covered with spinelets, and marked by 5 large ambulacral grooves with strong podia.

[2] The Poraniidae are supposed to be passive deposit-feeders,[3] but as Bathyporania ascendens has been observed climbing on black coral, it may be a predator of deep-sea cnidarians.

[2] Bathyporania ascendens has been found during a deep-sea survey by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute at Davidson Seamount, off the coast of the Monterey region, at 2669 meters deep.