P. parvivipara is endemic to the coast of South Australia, where it is found within 200 km (120 mi) of the Eyre Peninsula.

[3] The main identified threats to the Tasmanian live-bearing sea star are habitat deterioration and destruction through sedimentation, eutrophication, and coastal development.

As P. parvivipara uses mostly small boulders that are particularly susceptible to disturbances that are increasing with rising sea levels, future ecological restoration effects to protect this rare species may be required.

[citation needed] Some individuals breed in the autumn and winter, but most do so in the late spring and the summer, when the brood sizes are smallest and the juveniles are the largest when born.

By varying size and number of offspring in this way, the starfish is thought to maximize the chances that its young will survive.