Starfish are not real fish, they have no gills, fins or scales and are echinoderms. Seawater as a substitute for blood allows them to survive, maintained by a special "water vascular system" in the body.

They usually have five arms, but there are also four or six, and their bodies are flat, mostly star-shaped. The whole body is composed of many calcium bone plates combined by connective tissue,

Appendages such as protruding spines, tumors or warts on the body surface. Some wrists have as many as 50, and there are 4 rows of densely packed and long tube feet under the wrists.

The tube feet are used both to catch prey and to allow themselves to climb up the reef. Large starfish have thousands of pins.

Way of eating.

Starfish are carnivores and can feed on a variety of invertebrates, especially shellfish, crustaceans, and fish.

Some of them are monophagous, for example many species usually only eat bivalves. There are also omnivorous species.

Sea stars have two stomachs, one for digestion and the other to swell and engulf their prey.

Efficacy and role of starfish.

Are starfish edible?

The medicinal value of starfish is greater than the edible value. Often used in soups.

The acid mucopolysaccharide in starfish has the effect of regulating immune function, and the medicinal value of starfish is gradually being valued.

Many marine medicine or food companies have developed products such as starfish nutrition capsules, which have significant effects on curing diseases and strengthening the body.

However, starfish have toxins in their bodies, so they must be used with caution.

Special function.

"Monitor".

People have always believed that sea stars rely on their tentacles to identify their direction, but this is not the case. There are many tiny crystals on the skin of sea stars, and each crystal can function as an eye to understand the surrounding information.

Echinoderms are highly photosensitive, and they can change the intensity of light around their bodies to decide what kind of covert precautions to take, and they can also change their colors to confuse "enemies."

Regeneration ability.

The trick with a starfish is its ability to clone itself. If a starfish is torn into several pieces and thrown into the ocean, each fragment will quickly re-grow the lost parts, resulting in several new, complete starfish.

Sea stars are very reproductive and can live to be 35 years old. In order to maintain ecological balance, starfish are an indispensable link in the marine food chain.

Have you ever picked up a starfish and threw it back into the ocean?