Fun Starfish Facts for Kids
Kids are always inquisitive especially if they see something that looks interesting. Starfishes always catch their attention because of their appearance and it will be fun if you give a few starfish facts to your kids if they ask. The first fact that you can give them is that starfishes are not really fish but they are echinoderms. They are more related to sea cucumbers even if they have a ‘fish’ in their name.
You may be able to find a few starfishes in the shore with different colors and physical characteristics but there are over two thousand documented species of this animal to date. Some of the species are extinct and some are still living. Each one of these species can have varying physical characteristics and different preferences in prey too.
Your kids may notice that most starfishes that they find on the shores have 5 arms which resemble the image of a star. Although many species of starfishes have 5 arms, some species can grow more than 5 arms growing out from its central disc. One species can even have up to 40 arms at once. In connection to the starfish’s arms, these animals can also regenerate a cut arm and make a new one.
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Other Cool Starfish Facts
There are various marine creatures, such as manta rays and sharks, which can prey on starfishes and penetrate their solid skin. There are species of birds that can feed on starfishes, which come too close to the water surface. The larger starfish species may sometimes feed on smaller marine species. The lifespan of a starfish can be up to thirty-five years if it is able to get away from its numerous predators. What makes the starfish very different from most More... Starfish Facts on its Importance in Nature
A lot of people see starfishes as cute animals by the seashore that you can pick up and take pictures of. But there is actually more to these creatures than just their appearances and colors. Not a lot of people understand starfish facts especially about their contribution to nature. Just like any other animal in the marine kingdom, they contribute a lot in Eco diversity and in keeping the food chain running. Scientists and biologists actually called starfishes as keystone More... Eliminating Fish Odor from Starfish
The first step of ridding starfish of the fish odor is scraping away any leftover tissue from its underside using a little butter knife. Also, brush off all organic matter, such as seaweed and bugs, which may be sticking to the shell’s spiny top. Combine one part water and three parts bleach together in a large mixing bowl. You have to make sure that the depth of this mixture is enough to soak the starfish that you would like to More... Process of Cooking Starfish
The first step of cooking starfishes is putting eight large pieces of them in a pot filled with cold water through the entire night. Chop these creatures into little pieces as you wake up in the morning. You have to chop each of them whole, which means that nothing should be removed from the starfish. Put the starfish slices into a mortar, along with a small quantity of pepper, salt and butter. Grind the whole mixture into some thin paste. More... Starfish Facts on Asexual Methods of Reproduction
Starfishes are animals that are known to be able to multiply through both the sexual and the asexual processes. Based on starfish facts, not all species of starfishes can asexually create an offspring. There are species that strictly multiply through the sexual methods. But the asexual reproduction of starfishes is definitely a very interesting topic especially to kids. The asexual process of preproduction by starfishes can be accomplished through two methods. These are autotomy and fission. Autotomy is the process 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... 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... |