Starfish! The "Constellations of the Sea"

Starfish in all Shapes and Sizes!

Although I had heard of and seen "starfish" or "sea stars" before when we lived in New Mexico, it was when my family moved to the western Pacific island of Guam that I was able to see these interesting creatures in their natural habitats when I was snorkeling on the coral reefs.

The variety of starfish on Guam was astounding. In addition to the typical, stereotypical 5-point starfish one thinks about when pondering star fish, there were also strange-looking things that looked like puffed up pillows--the "pillow-stars", quick-moving spiny things--the "brittle-stars", and convoluted masses of poisonous spines--the "Crown-of-Thorns" starfish.

You can also find a great variety of starfish among The Rock Islands of Palau or in Hawaii. Even elsewhere--along any of the coastlines (and the deep abyssal areas of the oceans!), you can find all sorts of strange and wonderful starfish!

Contents at a Glance

Starfish Along with Other Coral-Reef Buddies--The Anemones, Coral, and Algae!
Couple of Stars!
Stars on Camera! (No, Not Angelina Jolie or Paris Hilton!)-- Sea Stars!

Starfish Movement.. Time Lapse, of course...
The "Crown-Of-Thorns" Starfish--Acanthaster planci---Reef Eater!
Read Up on the Stars! (No, Not Angelina Jolie or Paris Hilton! -- Sea Stars!)

more...

Starfish Along with Other Coral-Reef Buddies--The Anemones, Coral, and Algae!

Couple of Stars!

Starfish Couple Journal

Journal

Price: 11.99

Starfish Couple Mug

Mug

Price: 12.99

Starfish Couple Note Cards (Pk of 10)

Note Cards (Pk of 10)

Price: 11.99

Starfish Couple Tote Bag

Tote Bag

Price: 14.99

Starfish Couple Ornament (Oval)

Ornament (Oval)

Price: 7.99

Stars on Camera! (No, Not Angelina Jolie or Paris Hilton!)-- Sea Stars!

Star

star

Hold On

I Want Out of Here!!

My first charm

IMG_0463

IMG_0480

IMG_0483

IMG_0326

IMG_0311

Starfish Movement.. Time Lapse, of course...

STARFISH TIME LAPSE

my starfish isnt so lazy afterall

The "Crown-Of-Thorns" Starfish--Acanthaster planci---Reef Eater!

Although most starfish are sort of benign, the "crown-of-thorns" starfish, Acanthaster planci, can cause great destruction of coral reefs by enveloping coral colonies and digesting the animals that make up those colonies--leaving their bleached and lifeless "skeletons" behind. Those bleached and dead remains become coated with algae and silt and then are no longer able to support the normal abundant life that most coral reefs have.

The spines of the Acanthaster starfish can also inflict severe and painful wounds to careless SCUBA divers and snorkelers if they accidentally come in contact with them.

0 points

^#8

Vote Up

Vote Down

Life In The Coral Reef (Wild, Wild World of Animals Series) by Time Life Films

0 points

Starfish Eat a Variety of Things!

Although the Acanthaster starfish eat coral, other starfish commonly eat clams and other molluscs. They envelope the clam or other mollusc with their arms and by using their powerful suction, pull the mollusc open enough (in the case of the bivalves), and invert their stomach into the opening--thus digesting the mollusc from within its own shell.

Starfish - Maybe Heading Out to Find a Clam for Dinner!

Star Stuff You Can Wear!

Starfish Turnover...

Starfish Turnover Sequence

A timelapse of a Starfish turnover behavior.10 minutes compressed into 1.

Don't Mind Giving and Arm and a Leg!

Starfish not only reproduce by sexual release of sperm and eggs (which combine in the open water and after fertilization become embryonic free-swimming larvae), but they can also reproduce by losing a leg--the leg will grow into another starfish. If you cut a starfish into separate pieces--the pieces each can grow into a complete starfish. This is why you can sometimes find a starfish with legs that are of uneven lengths. This is also why you can't really eradicate coral reefs of the Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) by just cutting them up with a diving knife. Because the cut legs will merely grow into new starfish. To eradicate the Acanthasters, scientists and divers had to inject the whole starfish with a poison that would kill the whole starfish and which would prevent the legs from regeneration.