Starfish, or sea stars, are part of the echinoderm family. It technically means that they are not fishes, despite its name. These creatures are one of the most bizarre sea animals, yet there is something about them that draws most of us to them. Here are some weird facts that you should know about:
Starfish have no blood and heart.
These starfish facts can come off as surprising. Yup, some animals can live without the main parts of the circulatory system, and the starfishes are the living proof of it. Aside from starfishes, sea cucumbers and corals are some examples of animals that can live without flowing blood and a pumping heart. For its organs to function, seawater is a viable replacement for blood and a heart. Nutrients from the seawater are enough sustenance for the starfish to continue living in the depths of the great blue ocean. Lucky for them, they will never run out of seawater.
They can regenerate!
That is right! A starfish can regrow and replace its arms when it gets cut off. A starfish can lose an arm when hiding from a predator or when it uses its arm as a defense mechanism. Lucky for them, they can still regrow it after a few months or years. Regenerating a new arm takes a long time since they need time to heal before new cells can form. There are some cases where a new starfish will grow from the severed limb. It is one of the two ways in how a starfish can reproduce. That is freakishly cool, am I right?
Not all starfish are stars.
When we think about starfish, we picture them with five arms. But did you know that a starfish can grow up to 40 limbs?! It’s equally impressive and terrifying. There are over 2,000 species of starfish. No wonder why there is such diversity. When you visit New Zealand, you will discover that the common starfish in their country is square-shaped! There are also other shapes like the sun-star, spine star, bat star, and goosefoot star.
Starfish can eat with their stomachs inside out.
It is one of the coolest survival mechanisms of a starfish. They have suction cups on their limbs that help them hold on to their food. Through its mouth, the stomach of the starfish exits and proceeds to digest the food. Once they are eating, the stomach will go back to the body. Because of this, starfish can feed on larger prey without any problems. The diet of the starfish consists of clams, oysters, smaller fishes, mollusks, and arthropods.
A starfish has feelings.
They may lack a heart, but a starfish can feel pain. Starfish relies on its sensory feeling, in terms of light, touch, and temperature, to survive its environment. Its nervous system is very complex and unique, even though it doesn’t have a central nervous system or organ. Just like sea cucumbers and corals, starfish are also fragile. When you go snorkeling, and you see a starfish, it is best to leave them alone. Nope, don’t even try to poke them or carry them. It might cause stress and can affect their overall health.
Starfish are surprisingly heavy.
Starfish vary in size and shape. But if we are talking about the common ones, those starfish can weigh around a pound! The most common starfish can go up to 10 inches in length. But if we are talking about the heaviest starfish, this is where the sun star enters the conversation. They can go up to 40 inches in length and 11 pounds in weight!
Another large species is the pink starfish that is common in the North Pacific Ocean. They can go up to 13 inches in length and can weigh up to almost 9 pounds! If you had an awesome childhood, we are pretty sure you already know a pink starfish. Yup, Patrick Star from the Nickelodeon show Spongebob Squarepants is a pink starfish!
Starfish have eyes.
Though we can’t see it with our naked eyes, starfish have tiny eyespots on the tip of their limbs. Their eyes do not function the way ours do. These eyespots are photosensitive since it has to adapt to the darkness under the sea. In short, their eye spots can detect light and dark. They can see the shape of their surroundings that is useful when there are predators around.
In A Nutshell
Starfish is one of the most complex marine animals that we know of today. Due to their living conditions under the sea, they have to adapt to survive. These are some of the weirdest facts about these creatures that are borderline interesting and freaky! Remember when you see one, admire them from a distance so you won’t spook them.
