More interesting facts about starfish
Starfish are slow-moving predators. They feed on molluscs such as clams, snails, oysters, and other slow-moving sea creatures.
Starfish have suckers on the ends of their tube feet to hold and grab their prey.
Their stomach exits their mouth to digest the food and goes back inside their body when they've finished eating.
Did you know?
- Some sea stars can weigh up to 5 kg.
- The average life span of a starfish is 35 years.
- Starfish are related to sea urchins.
- Starfish use seawater to pump things around their bodies instead of blood.
- There are around 2,000 species of starfish living in the world's oceans.
- Most types of starfish can regenerate. It can take up to a year to grow the arm back.
- The sunflower star (pictured above) is the largest sea star in the world, with an arm span of up to 3.3 feet. They have 16 - 24 arms.
- Predators of sea stars include fish, sea otters and birds.
- Starfish are echinoderms which are organisms with a spiny skin.
