SEA STARS

Sea Stars and their relatives Sea Urchins are in the phylum Echinodermata. The word “echinoderm” means “spiny skin”.

Some Sea Stars have the ability to regenerate appendages. If an arm is torn or cut off, some Sea Stars may grow another. Some species may even grow a new body from the severed arm! Full regeneration may take months or even years.

Sea Stars eat a variety of prey items, including mollusks, crustaceans and fish.

Sea Stars have one of the most unique and strange methods of eating in the animal kingdom. A Sea Star will surround its prey, closing its arms around its food before spitting its entire stomach out. The stomach wraps around its food and engulfs the edible parts, pulling them back into its body.

LEAST CONCERN (LC):
Less likely to become endangered anytime soon.