The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-03-26
THE STAR-FlSH.
The Curious Habits of This Most Interest,"
ing Animal.

The Curious Habits of This Most Interest,"
ing Animal.
No animal is more common on the
sea-coast than the star-fsh, and for this
reason visitors to the sea-shore are very
apt to pass it by, and search for the
more attractive and rare sca-anemones.
But, in doing this, they pass by one Of
the most interesting animals, and one
which has very curious habits. Drop
star-fish into glass filled with sea
water, and watch it for a few moments.
If it happens to drop on its back, one
of the five arms, which seem SO rigid
when taken from the water, will begin
to bend, scores of small suckers will
begin to fasten themselves upon the
bottom of the tank, and soon the star
will be right side up.
He is restless creature when in an
aquarium, and will continually rove
about in search of something to eat.
He moves about with slow, regular
| motion, which at first seems myste-
rious. There is no irregular motion,
as in walking, but simply slow pro-
pulsion along the bottom or up the
sides of the tank, as if pushed. on by
some continual pressure from behind.
In a moment he mounts the perpendic-
ular side, and, through the transparent
glass, we have an opportunity to see
how he moves. In the center of each
arm there is a depression, and in each
depression there are several rows OF
| pure white suckers, extending from
the base to the tip of the arm. These
are his locomotive organs, and well do
they serve the purpose. There are
hundreds of them, elastic yet muscu-
lar, all working at the same time to
propel the creature along. One loosens
its hold, stretches itself out and
takes another hold an eighth of an
inch further up. Others follow, and
the creature moves. 1t is held firmly,
yet at the same time is continually
moving. ss4t
How can these countless hundreds
of little feet all be worked by one
small being SO low in the animal king
domp To do this the creature has u
most wonderful arrangement not un-
like system of water works. There
is tank, which he has always filled
with water pure and clear, and
strained from all foreign particles in
, its passage through the brightly col
, ored sieve-like madrepore plate. From
this tank there are five tubes, each
leading into one of the arms, and from
these main tubes countless numbers of
small ones branch off to form the suck
, ers. By filing or drawing off the
, water the suckers are detached, or
made to cling to a surface in manner
! very like a boys leather sucker.
But see, it is approaching mussel
that is hanging by its finely woven
byssus to the side Of the tank. Can it
, have designs upon this shell-fishP ?
Straight toward it the star moves; it
nears the mussel; the forward sucker
q touches the she'll; the star hesitates a
f moment, than moves on faster than be-
n fore. One arm has passed over the
4 mussel, and the mouth of the star-ish
: is just over the center of the shell.
:. Surely it can do no harm to this we'll
. defended shell-fsh. Its mouth is so
:, small that it can not swallow the mus
. sci, and surely it can not bore into the
" hard shell.
); The star-fsh has stopped, the five
- arms are curled around the mussel
duu IL iS nclu Ill u SLIOuH oIlUIdCGs W.
a watch the star-fish with renewed inter
. est, but all we see is the same motion
less attitude, no change in position
IF nothing to indicate change. The stal
7 seems satisfied to remain as it is, as i
n at rest. Soon thin membrane encir
~ cles the mussel, but nothing further il
= seen. We revisit the aquarium at tn,
y end of an hour, and the star is in th,
4 same position; at the end of two hour
as there is no change; but in three hour
.o we return to see the star-fish nestled il
Va the darkest corner of the aquarium
I while the unfortunate mussel hangs il
M its old position, quite dead. the shel
70 gaping open, and numerous littl
.ir shrimp feeding on the half-digeste
" parts left by the destructive star-fsh.
What has been doneP Simply this
N the star-tish, unable to take the she
I'd into its stomach, has accommodate
a. itself to circumstances, and extende
in its stomach out of its mouth, and d
q gested the shell-fish with its stomac
no entirely outside of its body. In thi
u silent manner hordes of star-fish IL
a wade oyster beds, and in single nigf
,lo destroy thousands. The oystermel
recognizing their destructive powe
al formerly had the stupid habit of Gu
he ting every star-fish that they caugl
into three or four pieces and returnin
NJ them to the water, not knowing th
ho each piece had the power of reprodu
no ing itself, and that, for each star thu
to torn into three or four pieces, two
n. three new individuals were formed
mn Ralph S. Tarr, IN Congregationalist.
i