Starfish

The starfish scientific is commonly known as a beautiful starfish. These species have arms as well as rays that surround the central disk. They are not actually fish as the name suggests, so one should not judge the given book by looking at its cover. The greatest variety of them is commonly viewed in Northern Pacific regions and is a rare thing to watch. The starfish's scientific name is Asteroidea and is a very popular species occurring in the water. This loving species is very famous and gains a lot of attention. 

There are a total of 1,600 living species of this particular creature. They can be very different in their measurements, like some are short, having 1 cm as their measurement, or some have measurements like 20 to 30 cm across and some measure 65 cm across. Hence they are diverse creatures on the earth.  This is how the body is structured.

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Body Structure

Starfish classification is easy to make and really needs fewer efforts. They have a total no. of 5 arms and are really different in structure. The arms are said to be hollow in character. When seen, they typically look like the disk.

The arms appear to be covered by various spines, pincer-like organs(pedicellariae). Such is their arms that look totally different from the other characters living on earth or inside the water. 

The lower sides of the arms are made of different grooves and consist of tube feet arranged in various rows. Such are the features present on the arms of this species. The arms are tipped, commonly the sucker -tipped in nature or appears pointed in nature. Therefore it consists of a very beautiful body, and good features supplement the beauty of the above creatures, who are known to be very beautiful.

The creatures are capable of losing two, one, or more no. of arms at the same time. The tube-like feet are capable of creeping in any of the directions, and hence this enables them to cling to various surfaces that may be steep in nature.

Reproduction of Sea Star

Starfish characteristics are very important and so is reproduction. Typically starfish are heterosexual in nature, but sometimes they can reproduce through hermaphroditism as well. 

Here are the key points

1. Reproduction can also occur by body division which is a scientific phenomenon commonly known as fragmentation. 

2. Some of them are also known to brood their eggs. 

3. Non-brooders are famous for releasing water. They are capable of releasing a total no. of 2.5 million eggs at one time.

The Overall Starfish Information

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Starfish information includes the feeding habits they indulge in to survive for the long run and for a longer duration as well. The primitive one among these is known to feed with the help of various sweeping particles that are known to collect in good numbers along the grooves of the arms of this species. This happens into the mouth of the species, and this happens commonly on the underside of the disk present in them.

The advanced form uses their stomach by turning outward upon their prey on which they are willing to feed. Their prey includes other forms of Echinodermata starfish of other bivalve mollusks, and also various other categories of various forms of polyps. All they do is digest or swallow their prey not in parts but as a whole. 

This is the way they hunt on their prey and get the necessary energy needed to survive in critical conditions. This keeps them alive and remains strong to face the critical weather and living conditions surrounding them.

The inside skeleton of the creature usually involves a large no. of limy plates. The respiration in these organisms usually occurs through the various skin structures present in them. There is also the presence of various spots that are light-sensitive in nature that is commonly present at the arms, mostly on the tips of these creatures.

The Famous Three Orders 

The creature can be found in three orders commonly:-

• Spinulosa

• Forcipulata

• Phanerozonia

These have marginal plates in them that are very distinct in nature and appearance as well. These are, therefore, very rigid in their formation and looks. This star animal is a part of members of the order and hence has the presence of the suction, suction-tube-like feet attached to them. The anus may be a lacking element in them. Hence many may be a part of this, and many may be burrowers in nature. 

The mud star is abundant and found on the northern coasts at the bottom. They are about 10 cm across and also present with short, blunt, and broad arms. Yellow disk is present as well and can be seen easily in this creature.

Ocean starfish are very popular and can be found very beautiful under the water. They enhance the beauty of the sea and are very beautiful in nature as well.

Presence of Various Genera 

There is the presence of various genera. These are distributed and present in large numbers in the Northern Hemisphere region. The body types include spine-fringed arms, pointed and longer arms. The various genera names are as following

• Luidia

• Psilaster

• Astropecten

There is also the presence of the largest creature in this category of sea star, which is basically West Indies one, the great Oreaster reticulatus. This is basically 20 inches across. So you can see the measurement is so big and wide as compared to the other one.

Linckia is capable of growing into a new individual just from a small piece that too from a single arm it can grow as it is the member of the Indo-Pacific genus. The Spinulosa's Spiny sea stars have various spines present in clusters. They rarely are pedicellariae but have suction-tube feet and hence are very beautiful in look considering the kind of structure they possess. 

Now coming to the other category of genera Crossaster and Solaster Sun stars are the species commonly found in the northern waters. They are known to have broad and short rays and are often known to hold the sunburst-patterned disk in them, and hence this makes them different from the other creatures around them. These are commonly 10 rayed and are commonly 50 cm across as well and are very beautiful creatures like other counterparts of theirs.

The spiny sun star comprises a total of 15 arms and is famously called Crossaster papposus. Cushion stars that are part of the circumboreal genus commonly known as Pteraster are basically plump and are also available in five-rayed forms. They consist of webbed, blunt, and short arms with raised spines having tufts. 

What is the Scientific Name of Starfish?

This great question comes into the minds of many, so unveiling the truth, the starfish scientific name is Asteroidea, which is basically the starfish phylum.

More Information about the Orders 

Belonging to the order Forcipulata the famous sea stars that are available with two-valved, long-stalked pedicellariae are known as forceps carriers. The functions present in pedicellariae include food-taking functions and are protected as well. In most cases, it consists of a small disk and also includes arms that are rounded and are very small in nature. Out of various orders, the order includes the most common species that are shallow-water species. 

The suction feet are commonly used to open with force the Bivalve's shell, and then the stomach is inserted, and afterwards that the prey is digested with ease. The largest among various sea stars present on the western coast of North America is Pisaster brevispinus which is 26 inches and is the world's largest among many sea stars present around the world. 

This species is famous to prey on various other echinoderms, commonly called sand dollars which basically try to escape being eaten. For this purpose, they try to use the burrow technique at a large scale but are seen to fail in this battle.

Sea Stars Found in American Pacific Coast

The most common and widely available among many sea stars of the American Pacific Coast is P.ochraceus. This is a common species which is a five rayed one found in the area of the American Pacific region, and people have also seen this specify. It has a splendid appearance and is a very beautiful species among the many. 

It is basically 14 inches across and is 35 cm in measurement. Its usual appearance includes the presence of red colour and is also available in various other phases of diverse colour forms.

There are also many rayed species available in the sea and named as sunflower and is famous in regions of California and in Alaska as well. It is basically 60 cm across and has a total no. of 15-24 arms as counted by the people or the discoverers.

Another one is Heliaster which is basically broad-disked in feature, and they are a short-rayed genus found in the Central America region in the west coast area. They may consist of as many as 50.

They cover large water bodies and various areas and are always a species worth seeing. So the discoverers get very happy when they find one as seeing them is a pleasant sight for the eyes. The way they catch their prey and the way they behave is really commendable and is itself something extraordinary in nature. 

They are orange, they are red, and are present in various other colours and look like floating stars in the water. They are quite splendid and are very beautiful; their body structures are very different from other water species. They are called by various names that are very popular among the people. The species find them in the curiosity of lots of individuals, and they are in large quantities on the earth and are great in numbers as well wherever they are found.