Starfish

Hello guys! For today's post i'm going to show you some Starfish photos and tell you some fun facts about them!

5 Incredible Starfish Facts!

Delicate structure: Starfish are animals that are made up of a fragile network of thin muscles and tiny ligaments. This is why they move so slowly – and also why they shouldn’t be handled.

Extended senses: Starfish do not have a central nervous system; instead, their entire body is made up of a collection of sensory nerves. Starfish observe the world through small eyes located at the ends of their “arms.”

Natural regeneration: Starfish possess the ability to regrow a limb that is lost. This process is slow, and it only occurs if the starfish survives the pain of the initial break. Some species of starfish can break off their own limbs in order to escape from predators.

Vascular system: Starfish don’t actually have blood in their bodies. Instead, they pump seawater through their vascular structure in order to carry nutrients and oxygen.

Starfish Classification and Scientific Name

The aquatic animal that is commonly known as a starfish is also frequently called a sea star. All of these animals fall into the class Asteroidea; in the scientific community, they are frequently known as asteroids. The zoological name Asteroidea translates to “star-shaped – “aster” means “star,” and “eidos” refers to “shape.”

Asteroidea is one of the largest classes in the Echinodermata family. Other echinoderms include sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and sand dollars. Most echinoderms have the same five-pointed structure as common sea stars, but plenty of these animals – including some of the different types of starfish – are capable of having far more complicated structures.

Starfish Species
There are over 2,000 distinct species of starfish, and more are frequently discovered during oceanic research. The many types of these animals are as varied as the different places where they are found. With so many bright colors and creative forms, it’s no surprise that so many sea stars have colloquial and zoological names that express their unique types of beauty. Some of the most notable types include:

Common starfish: Asterias rubens is a simple, five-pointed animal with a peachy orange color. Also known as sugar starfish, you can find these aquatic animals all along the Atlantic coast.
Sunflower starfish: Pycnopodia helianthoides is found in the Pacific ocean. These sea stars can have up to 24 limbs and come in all different types of colors.
Royal starfish: Astropecten articulatus live in the West Atlantic. Like sugar starfish, they have five points; however, they are distinguished by their bold purple and orange colors.
Necklace starfish: Fromia monilis are a West Pacific starfish named for the plates on their body, which look a lot like the beads on a necklace. In some areas, they’re known as tiled starfish.
Chocolate chip sea stars: Protoreaster nodosus are found in in the Pacific ocean near Indonesia. These animals can be recognized by their black spikes, which look like chocolate chips.

Starfish Appearance
Starfish are flat aquatic animals that move slowly and stick to the ocean floor. Most of them have a central disk surrounded by five or more arms. The mouth is usually located in the middle of the disk, and the ends of their arms feature light-sensitive eyespots. The skin is covered in small spines, and the bottom of its limbs are usually lined with hundreds of small tubular feet that are used for gradual movement.

Starfish are animals that come in an amazing array of colors and variations. From bold purple stripes to pointed black horns, there’s no limit to the different types you might find. There are small species that are only an inch or two across, and there are large starfish that can get as big as a foot. Every region is different; you may need to take a walk along the beach to see your local sea stars.

Photo's:

I used the website: a-z-animals.com

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Artcher