The common sea star is a spiny-skinned echinoderm with five pointed arms. (Bill Frank/www.jaxshells.org)
The common sea star is a spiny-skinned echinoderm with five pointed arms. It lives mainly on rocks, jetties and pilings in the shallow, salty waters of the lower Chesapeake Bay.
Appearance:
Five pointed arms
Varies in color from yellowish-orange to deep purple
Small, pale spines that give the sea star a rough appearance
Bright red or orange “eye” spot in the center of the body
Hundreds of tiny tube feet on the pale underside
Grows to about 5 inches
Habitat:
Common in shallow, rocky areas and near jetties and pilings
Also found in deeper waters over sandy or stony bottoms
Uses its tiny tube feet to move
Range:
Found in the salty waters of the lower Chesapeake Bay
Feeding:
Eats snails, clams, oysters, mussels and barnacles
Feeds by latching its tube feet onto its prey’s shells, then prying the shells open just enough for the sea star to reach its stomach inside
Predators:
Has few predators due to its tough, spiny skin
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Spawns by releasing eggs and sperm into the water, where the eggs are fertilized
Females can release up to 2.5 million eggs
Fertilized eggs develop into free-swimming larvae
After about three weeks, the larvae settle and morph into adults
Other Facts:
More commonly referred to as starfish
Related to sea cucumbers. Both are echinoderms, which means “spiny-skinned.” All echinoderms have five-part radial symmetry.
An active sea star can travel one mile in about a week
If a sea star loses an arm, it can quickly grow a new one. Sometimes it overcompensates and grows an extra arm or two. This is why sea stars with six or more arms are occasionally found.
