It is found in a limited region of the coast of Australia and is very similar in appearance to Cryptasterina pentagona.

It occurs around the shores and islands of Statue Bay (23°15′S; 150°45′E), in south east Queensland, and is typically found under rocks and among mangroves in the upper intertidal zone.

The brachiolaria larvae that develop inside the gonads "swim" in the fluid there and are eventually released into the sea through the gonopore as juvenile starfish.

[4] Members of the family Asterinidae appear prone to rapid change in their reproductive life cycle and Cryptasterina hystera is one of several species that has recently diverged from its ancestral line.

[5] In a research study, embryos were removed from the gonads of Cryptasterina hystera and reared in the laboratory.