Starfish Facts about their Habitat
People who want to learn more starfish facts should also look into the habitat and the areas around the world where starfishes can be found. One key fact that you should definitely know is that starfishes will never survive when not in water. You may see a few of them on the beach but if they do not get into the sea soon, they will have a major electrolyte imbalance within their bodies. This is directly related to the starfish’s water vascular system where water needs to constantly flow within the tubes in their bodies.
Because electrolytes are essential in creating equilibrium within the starfishes’ bodies, these animals are not just strict water creatures, but they are strict marine sea creatures as well. This means that they will only be able to survive in the oceans and in the sea where the water is salty. Freshwater environments such as lakes and rivers will not be suitable for the starfishes.
Starfishes are also found all over the world but populations thrive at tropical seas where sea temperatures are perfect for their systems although there are some species that are able to survive colder temperatures. Starfishes also stay at the bottom of the sea or the ocean.
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... Dissecting a Starfish
When considering dissecting a starfish, you must understand that this creature is a sea animal with a proportional endoskeleton. It feeds on mollusks and moves with hundreds of extremely small tube feet. Now, prepare the necessary tools for dissecting the starfish. These include a probe, a scalpel, dissection tray, scissors and pins. You must wear goggles and protective clothing to cover yourself against debris. Pin your starfish into the tray in such a way that its top view faces you. More... Locating a Starfish
If you want to find a starfish, go to a nearby rocky beach. Typically, starfish stick to underwater rocks near the seashore. This is the best area to locate these wonderful marine creatures. It is a good idea to look forward to low tide. It is at low tide that the sea reveals a lot of rocks, which have been underwater. In addition, it leaves behind rock pools where there is a vast variety of sea creatures. The best time More... Starfish Facts on How They Protect Themselves
When a prey is being stalked by predators, the first reaction of the prey is always to flee the scene. It will only be during compromising situations wherein the prey would start to be in fight mode. Unfortunately, starfishes cannot just escape from predators because most of them are generally slow. So they use numerous other defense mechanisms to protect themselves. According to the starfish facts gathered by zoologists, certain species of starfishes have a chemical coating in their bodies More... Starfish Facts on their Senses
Even if starfishes look very peculiar and different from the rest of the animals that you typically see, they still have typical body functions and processes that other animals commonly share. They also have senses such as seeing, touching, and smelling. These senses may be some starfish facts that you may not have heard before. In terms of vision, starfishes actually have vision sensors which are eyespots that are specially located at the far ends of the starfish’s arms. These More... Starfish Facts on Environmental Dangers and Threats
According to zoologists who study starfishes and their impact to the environment, these sea creatures have a very important role in the oceans. They may look like decorations in the ocean floor but they are actually considered as keystone species because they contribute in creating balance of species under the sea which can be done through predation. With the starfish facts that people already know, it will be a good start to know what these animals do so that people More... Structure of Body
Starfish is not really fish because fish is composed of backbones, fins and gills. Starfish is an echinoderm, which is an invertebrate that has a proportional radial body. Instead of scales, starfish species are mostly equipped with a leathery, rigid skin, which protects them against the attack of predators like birds and fishes. Calcium carbonate makes up the skin of all starfishes. Most of the starfish species are equipped with five arms, which extend out of a central point; nonetheless, More... |