21 interesting facts about starfish

Starfish — unique creatures, so it is not surprising that they are the object of close attention of biologists. Beautiful in their own way, they lead a very peculiar lifestyle, spending most of their time motionless somewhere on the seabed.

Interesting facts about starfish

  1. The diameter of the largest starfish can reach a meter, and the weight — five kilograms.
  2. Starfish, like jellyfish, have neither blood nor a brain (interesting facts about jellyfish).
  3. Oxygen is obtained by starfish from the water with the entire surface of the body, since they have no gills.
  4. We know about 2000 species of these creatures, but new ones are discovered from time to time.
  5. Most types of starfish have five arms, but there are those who have twenty or even fifty.
  6. Their ability to regenerate is simply amazing — they can fully restore lost body parts, although it takes a long time. A lost ray, for example, will grow back in 10-12 months.
  7. Starfish have eyes — they are located at the ends of its rays.
  8. All their types — predators.
  9. They cannot swim, but use many small legs to move along the seabed.
  10. Under certain conditions, many types of starfish can change sex.
  11. Despite their apparent clumsiness, starfish move surprisingly fast along the bottom.
  12. Some deep-sea species of these creatures live at a depth of ten kilometers.
  13. Representatives of most types of starfish will willingly eat even their own relatives on occasion.
  14. On the underside of each star ray there are up to 15 thousand tiny suckers.
  15. The first starfish on Earth appeared 200-250 million years ago.
  16. Some fish species eat starfish (interesting facts about fish).
  17. Some types of starfish reproduce by splitting in two.
  18. The heart of this creature contracts only 5-6 times per minute.
  19. Some starfish hunt by throwing their stomach out, enveloping them the victim and start the process of its digestion.
  20. Despite the many eyes, their vision leaves much to be desired – all they can do is distinguish darkness from light (interesting facts about vision).
  21. Instead of a circulatory system, starfish use a water vascular system, passing sea water through your body. Thus, water replaces their blood.
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