Starfish, or sea stars, are perhaps one of the most familiar of marine organisms and are practically a symbol of ocean life. Despite their name, they are echinoderms not fish and breathe through structures on their skin, not through gills. The greatest variety of species is found in the northern Pacific, from the Puget Sound to the Aleutian Islands. Most starfish have five arms, but a few species have more, as many as fifty arms. These bottom dwellers play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, as prey when they are free-floating larvae and as predator when they reach adulthood.
Few animals eat adult starfish, which are apparently neither palatable nor nutritious.
Most starfish have two sexes and reproduce by spawning eggs and sperm into the water, but some propagate asexually, at least part of the time. Starfish have the ability to regenerate their arms when lost or injured. Some species take this a step further and clone themselves, separating into pieces, each of which becomes a new animal. All Rights Reserved . No images, graphics, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders.