Central Disc of Starfish
Starfish have the capability of re-growing partial bodies or lost arms, after they experience an injury. They typically do this to either reproduce or heal wounds. If you cut a sea star into five sections, each containing a portion of its central disc and an original arm, five new sea stars will be born.
For the most part, a sea star can never clone itself except when the targeted clone has a section of the central disc. As the name suggests, the central disc refers to the center of the body of a starfish. A separated arm containing a portion of the central disc is going to produce a clone, though one without any part of the central disc won’t. However, a separated arm will sometimes re-develop some extra arm tissue.
Cloning with no central disc is very uncommon, but it has been observed by researchers in the Linckia diplax species. The thick, long separated arms of this type of starfish may sometimes develop a new tiny central disc containing four little arms, which all subsequently grow to optimal size. By and large, scientists are unsure whether this capability is only present in intentionally removed limbs, as take place in an asexual reproduction, or whether a limb separated during an attack or injury may as well develop an entirely new clone.
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External Threats
The greatest threat to starfish is similar one which endangers most other seawater animals: human beings. Starfish needs clean and clear water as its habitat. When humans permit water pollutants to flow into the seas and oceans, these species can get extremely unhealthy and even die. In addition, there are several cultures that allow the eating of starfish. In case too many starfishes are brought away from any area, these beautiful seawater creatures will be deprived of the opportunity to More... Researching about Starfish Facts
There will be no starfish facts that people know today if not for the researches and studies done by scientists, zoologists, and biologists. From the time that starfish species were first discovered and studied by humans until today, a wider range of information are already gathered pertaining to these creatures. Researching starfishes is not an easy thing to do since there are thousands of species that are still living. In order to understand the evolution of this creature, researchers would More... Starfish Facts on its Ancient History
When it comes to researching about starfish facts on their history, it is actually a very difficult process because starfishes are echinoderms and their species hardly leave any trace in their fossils aside from their external ossicles and spines. This makes it extra difficult for the researchers to spot and identify fossils that are strictly from the starfishes. But according to research findings, starfish fossils can be traced back to Ordovician which is roughly about 450 million years ago. There More... Handling Dead Sea Stars
Also referred to as sea stars, starfish are marine echinoderms that you can find on tide pools and beaches across the globe. National Geographic reports that there are more than two thousand species of starfish, though they all have the same physical appearance, which is composed of brittle and boney calcified skin. In the event that you find this creature, either dead or alive, you must handle it very carefully so that its fragile arms, will not be injured or More... Feeding a Starfish
Nowadays, marine scientists call starfish “sea stars”, since they are actually not fish, but echinoderms. There are more than two thousand species of sea stars. Most of them have five arms, but others are blessed with up to forty arms. The stomach and mouth of the starfish are located on its bottom. These animals usually push their stomachs from their bodies, wrapping them around the food for digestion. When learning how to feed a starfish, identify what type your starfish More... Spines of Starfish Facts
If you find out about starfish facts, you will know that not all species of starfishes have spines on their backs. But majority of the living species have spines which are major parts of their exterior anatomy. These spines are extensions of the external dermis of the starfish which are composed of calcium carbonate. The spines may also be of different color than the rest of the body. Their tips can be sharp and pointed while others can be curved More... Starfish Facts on Movement
Starfishes are definitely not popular for their speed. Majority of the species of starfishes can actually just cover a distance of less than 10 inches in a single minute. Even if their speed when moving is not something that might interest the people, the method on how they transfer from one place to another is certainly fascinating. These are some of the starfish facts that many people want to know more about. If you take a look at the underside More... Starfish Facts on Regeneration
Some of the most fascinating starfish facts are about their abilities in regenerating arms that have been cut. First you must understand why there are instances where a starfish could be missing an arm. The starfishes can actually be bitten by a predator and was able to escape or the starfish voluntarily cut one of its arms so that the predator will be distracted and they can escape. There are also species that cut their arms to reproduce. The duration More... Starfish Facts on Reproduction
When it comes to starfish facts on reproduction, things can get a little bit interesting considering the fact that some species can regenerate and grow just from an arm. But the regeneration of one starfish coming from a single arm is under the asexual form of reproduction and only a few species will be able to do that. Regeneration usually requires majority of the central disc to be intact for most of the other species. In terms of sexual reproduction, More... |