Best of Mike #135

Not too far from the wreck of the Capt Keith Tibbets, lying on a totatly featureless sandy bottom.... we found this Starfish.

There are over 1800 species of Starfish (or Sea Stars) in the worlds oceans.

The majority of them have 5 arms extending from a central body disc.... but there are Starfish that grow as many as 15 arms.

Starfish don't move fast but they are all capable of locomotion.... using a hydraulic system to pump water thru their body which lets it to move in a wave like motion.

The ampulla (feet) on the underside of their arms are what they use to grip. They look like suction cups.... but it is actually chemicals secreted by the body that provide the gripping action.

Many, but not all, Starfish have the ability to "regenerate" the body parts that they lose.

We usually think of this as regrowing an arm, which they can do.... but there have been cases of the Starfish regrowing everything else from just the arm.

They are opportunistic feeders and are known to be both suspension feeders (filtering small particles from the water as is it passes by) and to prey on other species.... like mussels.

I have seen time lapse photography of them eating other species.... it seems to have a lot to do with climbing on top and then using the mouth that is located on the underside, to get their meal.