Starfish are echinoderms that possess the ability to “regenerate.” During low tide, we often see these hand-sized creatures on the beach or in rock crevices, resembling five-pointed stars. That’s a starfish.
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| Starfish are echinoderms that possess the ability to “regenerate.” (Image: reef.geddis) |
The body of a starfish is symmetrically shaped with five arms (or multiples of five), and these arms act as its legs when moving. If it is trapped under a rock or bitten by a predator, it can automatically sever that arm to escape. Starfish have a remarkable ability to regenerate; after a period, the injured arm will grow back to its original length.
The upper surface of the starfish is slightly raised, colored yellow or orange, with a flat underside that features a mouth. Starfish are carnivorous marine animals that enjoy consuming shellfish such as clams, oysters, and mussels. In times of food scarcity, they may resort to cannibalism, even eating their own offspring.
Starfish have a special appendage that allows them to feed on hard-shelled animals. For example, when encountering a clam, they use their arms to tightly grip the prey until the clam can no longer endure the pressure. When the two halves of the clam shell open, the starfish takes advantage of this opportunity to secrete digestive enzymes to incapacitate the prey, extend its stomach out of its mouth, and slowly digest the clam’s meat. Consequently, starfish are considered pests in shellfish farming. Many fishermen despise starfish for stealing their cultivated clams and mussels and consuming their bait. When they catch a starfish, they cut it into many pieces and throw it back into the sea, but this only accelerates the starfish’s reproduction due to their strong regenerative abilities.
Anatomy of a Starfish (Image: infovisual.info)
