All rights reserved. Common Name: Starfish Sea Stars. Scientific Name: Asteroidea. Type: Invertebrates. Diet: Carnivore. Size: 4. Weight: Up to 11 pounds. Size relative to a teacup:. This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram.
Follow us on Instagram at natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo. Share Tweet Email. The 4 cm long sea creature was able to contract and expand its cylindrical body to lunch at food floating past. Five grooves running the length of its body connected to the mouth and could capture bits of food floating in the water. The fossilized creature thrived during the Cambrian explosion — a period when the number and variety of species on Earth experienced unprecedented growth.
The sediments in the Anti-Atlas were littered with other peculiar echinoderms with diverse body plans ranging from asymmetrical to bilaterally symmetrical. Several species have specialized feeding behaviors including eversion of their stomachs. This means the starfish extends its stomach out of its mouth and over the digestible parts of its prey. The prey tissue is partially digested outside of the body, then the starfish brings its stomach back inside into its 10 digestive glands to finish feeding.
If you want to learn more about this process, check out this article in the Journal of Experimental Biology where researchers investigated the compound that plays a role in this feeding behavior. Movement : On their ventral side, starfish contain thousands of tube-like feet that contain cells that are specialized for adhesion. In a process that Dr. Each foot has two sets of secretory cells that secrete compounds that allow the foot to first attach then detach to a surface.
The first set of cells releases an adhesive material that bonds the fuzzy coat the outermost layer of the tube foot to the surface ocean floor. A different substance is released from a second type of secretory cells that enables the foot to release from the ocean floor or other surfaces.
Video of starfish movement. Regeneration: Can you imagine having the ability to regrow a part of your body? Most species of starfish can regenerate, or regrow, damaged or lost arms. They can also shed arms as a means of defense. If an arm is damaged by a predator such as another starfish or a crab, the starfish can detach that arm and grow a new, healthy one.
UWA scientists, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge and Harvard University, discovered the Cantabrigiaster fezouataensis.
Scientists discover the oldest starfish-like fossil 20 Jan 2 mins. Science and environment.
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