The Starfish Is Very Tough

Starfish are star-shaped echinoderms. About 1,900 species of sea stars live on the seabed in all the world's oceans, from warm, tropical zones to frigid, polar regions. Different species can reproduce both sexually and asexually due. They have complex life cycles and can regenerate damaged parts or lost arms as a means of defense. The starfish moves in a bilateral fashion, particularly when hunting or in danger. When crawling, certain arms act as the leading arms, while others trail behind. The starfish is very durable even though it only can move about 6 inches a minute.

 Primitive sea stars feed by sweeping organic particles that collect along the arm grooves into the mouth on the underside of the disk. Advanced forms either evert (turn outward) the stomach upon the prey for external digestion or swallow the prey whole. Because of their ability to digest food outside the body, starfish can hunt prey much larger than their mouths. Their diets include clams, mussels, oysters, arthropods, small fish, and gastropod mollusks. Some species are grazers but others trap food particles from the water in sticky mucus strands that are swept towards the mouth along ciliated grooves. Starfish supplement their diets with algae and organic waste. They’re a keystone species as their diverse sizes and diet, along with their ability to adapt, make them ecologically important. The starfish completely respects all life forms but likes to be themselves, trusting their own instincts. They’re symbols of regeneration, resilience, healing, and love.