Starfish | Facts & Information

# Starfish | Facts & Information

Starfish | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Starfish

Starfish or starfish belongs to the Class Asteroidea. It's also called the fragile star. There are 2000 species that live in all the world's oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern Ocean(Antarctica).

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Starfish

Starfish

The starfish is a fascinating animal that lives in most of the world's oceans. These marine creatures, also known as asteroids, belong to the class Echinoderms and have the characteristic shape of a star, hence their name. Today, I will explore these wonderful marine creatures more closely and reveal some of their amazing traits.

Starfish can be found in a variety of colors and sizes. They can have between 5 and 40 arms, so the number of arms can vary from one species to another. Each arm is covered with small tubular feet, known as ambulacra, which help them move in a very unique way. These feet are equipped with a hydraulic system that allows them to extend and contract to move and feed. This ability to change their position and shape is one of the most impressive aspects of a starfish's life.

The starfish is a fierce predator. With the help of their ambulacral feet, they move along the ocean floor in search of food. These animals feed on a variety of organisms, such as mollusks, crustaceans, and even small fish. However, each species of starfish has its own preferred way of feeding. For example, some species feed by filtering plankton from the water, while others prefer to hunt larger organisms. Starfish have an amazing ability to blend in with their surroundings, allowing them to camouflage themselves and attack without being noticed.

Another interesting characteristic of starfish is their digestive system. These animals do not have a mouth and stomach like we do, but rather digest their food outside their bodies. When a starfish captures prey, it envelops it with its arms and special digestive secretions dissolve the food before absorbing it back into its body. This feeding method is very efficient and allows them to obtain the necessary nutrients.

Starfish can reproduce in several different ways. Some species reproduce sexually, through external fertilization of their eggs. Others, on the other hand, are capable of reproducing asexually, by dividing their bodies in two or by regenerating a damaged or severed arm. This ability to regenerate is truly remarkable and allows them to survive threats and injuries.

Although they are fascinating and beautiful animals, starfish face numerous threats. Ocean pollution, environmental changes, and overfishing are just a few of the challenges these marine creatures face. Unfortunately, many species of starfish are endangered and in need of urgent protection and conservation.

In conclusion, the starfish is an extraordinary animal with unique traits and a distinct elegance. Its distinctive shape, ability to move and feed in a unique way, innovative digestion method, and regenerative ability make this animal one of the most amazing in the marine world. However, the threats to these beautiful creatures remind us of the importance of protecting and conserving marine ecosystems.

890

Animals

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Species

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Languages

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Facts

Origin

Starfish are found at various depths, some greater than 6000m.they are most familiar to marine animals and possess a number of well-known traits, such as regeneration and feeding on mussels.

They vary according to the individual species and possess a great have a great diversity of forms and modes of feeding.

Starfish feed

The digestive system is quite complicated. I'll come back to him when I do a species classification of starfish. Until then a little summary ... the mouth is located on the lower part of the body and opens through a short esophagus.

First open the shell. Then he pulls his stomach out of his mouth and inserts it between the valves of the shell. The stomach secretes enzymes with the help of which help digest the victim.

Due to its ability to digest food outside its body, the starfish is able to hunt prey larger than its mouth such as clams, oysters, arthropods, small fish and mollusks. Starfish feed mostly on shells.

Not all species are carnivores or only carnivores. In the absence of meat they can supplement the diet with algae. It sounds strange but some algae actually graze on the bottom of the seas and oceans.

Starfish appearance

The starfish expressed in adulthood a pentaradial symmetry. However it is believed that the ancestors had bilateral symmetry. The most common star has 5 Rays or arms. There are also species with 6 or more arms due to developmental anomaly.

Other species simply have more, for example the species Solasteridae can have up to 50 Arms. These organisms are composed of calcium carbonate. The lower surface contains the oral surface and the upper surface is harder, it also has a protective role.

From the surface of the body can be identified several structures that comprise the basic anatomy of animals and can sometimes help to identify it. The 5 arms move on dozens of legs. Tubular legs move when water is pumped in and out of them.

A system of channels leads the water to the stilts. There are pumps on these channels. They regulate water circulation. The starfish absorbs water through a filter.

At the end of each arm there is a microscopic eye with which the starfish can see where it moves in light and also in darkness. There is no cornea or iris.

Starfish behavior

Many types of toxins have been extracted from various species of starfish for research and pharmaceutical or industrial fields worldwide.

Breathing occurs mainly through small tubes in the arms called papillae. The oxygen in the water is distributed throughout the body.

Excretion also occurs all through this system of tubes and papillae.

Reproduction starfish

Starfish can reproduce sexually or asexually. Most species are hermaphrodites. One of the species is born male and later turns into female.

Sexual dimorphism can not be seen from the outside. The eggs after they have been laid only need to be covered and hatched. Starfish gather during the breeding season and it is not known how they communicate but they all multiply on the same day.

If an arm is broken it regenerates only if at one end it has a part of the central disc, that is, only the part caught by the body. Life span varies between species, larger species live longer.

One species reaches sexual maturity in 2 years and lives about 10 years, another reaches maturity in 5 years and lives 30-40 years.

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