STAR FISH/SEA STARS

STAR FISH ARE BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS THAT CAN BE A VARIETY OF COLORS, SHAPES AND SIZES, ALTHOUGH ALL RESEMBLE A STAR.  WHILE SOME APPEAR SMOOTH, THEY ALL HAVE SPINES COVERING THEIR UPPER SURFACE AND A SOFT UNDERSIDE.  IF YOU GENTLY TURNOVER A LIVE SEA STAR, YOU'LL SEE ITS TUBE FEET WIGGLING BACK AT YOU.  THESE ICONIC MARINE ANIMALS ARE FASCINATING CREATURES.  

SEA STARS ARE NOT FISH.............ALTHOUGH SEA STARS LIVE UNDERWATER AND ARE COMMONLY CALLED "STAR FISH," THEY ARE NOT FISH.  THEY DO NOT HAVE GILLS, SCALES, FINS, OR TAILS LIKE FISH DO, SEA STARS HAVE TINY TUBE FEET TO HELP THEM MOVE ALONG.






SEA STARS ARE RELATED TO THE SAND DOLLAR, ON THE OCEAN BOTTOM SAND DOLLARS ARE MOSTLY FOUND TOGETHER.  THEY LOVE THE SOFT BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN, AND THEY LIVE IN THE SAND FOR REPRODUCTION.

SEA STARS ARE ALSO RELATED TO THE SEA CUCUMBER, ALL SEA CUCUMBERS ARE OCEAN DWELLERS, THOUGH SOME INHABIT THE SHALLOWS AND OTHERS LIVE IN THE DEEP OCEAN

MOST SEA STARS HAVE FIVE ARMS, BUT NOT ALL...............AMAZINGLY, SEA STARS CAN REGENERATE LOST ARMS, IF A SEA STAR LOSES AN ARM, IT CAN GROW A NEW ARM.  MOST OF THEIR VITAL ORGANS ARE IN THEIR ARMS.  IT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR TO GROW BACK.

SEA STARS HAVE A WATER VASCULAR SYSTEM........THEY DO NOT HAVE BLOOD........THE SEA STAR PUMPS SEA WATER INTO ITS TUBE FEET TO EXTEND THEM.  MUSCLES WITHIN THE TUBE FEET RETRACT THEM.

THERE ARE ABOUT 3,000 SPECIES OF SEA STARS

 THIS IS A CORNFLOWER SEA STAR......AS YOU CAN SEA IT HAS MORE THEN FIVE ARMS.

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY.........................................................................RIZZI