The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-02
LIFE ~ THE 81 tRfISH TtNk.
small Snaiis the Vain Food Pro, idcd-Thc
Oyster and the Starfish.

They feed he r'arflshcs at the Aquarium
on nassas, little snails half or three quar-
tiers of an inch in length which are found
in countless millions all along the coast,
The nas-a bitches itself slowly along
Clingng hv what IL commonly called its
foot. In an Aluarium tank il moves in
this way over The surface of the glass and
along III" tanks walls.
The -tariish. holding on by the almost
numberless tiny sucking disks on It's fv"
arms moves slowly a. long on the walls
and glass in like manner. and when IL en-
counters na--a II holds it under one of
its arms md works along over II until
it has got Il under the centre Of its body.
Then the starfsh pulls the rassa clear
Of the glass and turns II half a revo luton,
until II has brought the opening in the
nas-a's she'll opposite it, own mouth.
Then the startish sucks out the nas,l
and eats Il
Very greedy is the starfish. While il
i eating one nlS.a il will b. holding, il
II has been 80 fortunate as to corral them,
four or five or half a dozen moro nls,lS,
which it will oat after i, has disposed Of thu
first one. Thus II suggests the greedy
small oywho, while he j. eating ono apple
hugs TO himself with the other arm an
armful of apples hat h" is going o eat later
Tn" naSsa can burrow In the mud, As
well as work along Oh its foot; one In ia"
track Of an approaching stariish in nature.
appears in som" manner 10 become aware
nf n~ enomv's approach. Then the naSSa
begins to dig and i tunnels. 1t may be-,
under the approaching star'l'h, and thus
IL enabled to escape,
1t is familiar fact that the starfish
eats oysters If starf,hos settle in numbers
on an oyster bed they work great dnSt true
ton. Commonly the oyster Keeps its
shells shut. but it opens them little, al
intervals to feed. II is then that the star
fish gntS at il.
when an oyster that a starfsh may have
been ovcrlyng opens it, shells, the star
thrusts in between tn" shells the end e
one of it, arms. The oyster closes it, shtlls
on it, bus it can't pinch th' stars arm
or though even if it coud-and stars do
often lose arms in on" way and anot her
the lost arm would In tim" b. reproduced.
After trying in vain to shut its shells
together with that intrusive obicc between
them u opens them IN natural effort
80 cypcl he obstruction Then the star
fish works that arm further in and that
il the last Of the oyster, " hich, unable to
close its shell soon dies. and then the star
fish from between the now open shells
sucks out the soft part Of the oyster and
eats il.
That Il one way in which the starfl-h
operates on the oyster bed. Another way
in " hich il Kills an oyste or i~by "mot hcring it,
II will wrap itself around an oyster IN
such a mann"" that the oyster cant open
it, shell. which j., N affect, n bad for the
oyster az To prevent it, shutting its shell
Holding the oyster shut against its vii
kills /, finally. When the star has s:nothcred,
the oyster 80, II rclaxcs il- hold upon II
and in time, the oyster being now dead,
its shells open, and then the s'ariish pro-
ceeds a. in the other ease
At first oysters were provided here in
the Aquarium tank for ~" captive star
fishes 10 feed upon, hut for some reason
the startishS' here paid no attention TO
them. Then na-sa, were supplied, and
to this food supply the stars have taken
very kindly.