Sunflower Sea star
Morphology
The sunflower sea star has radial symmetry. The sunflower star has more arms than any other species, numbering between 15 and 24. It is the heaviest known sea star. Their arms are up to 40 cm long. The colors vary from reddish-orange to yellow, violet brown, purplish or dark purple. Distribution Map
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Biology
Sunflower stars are commonly found on various places like mud, gravel, sand, rock and boulders. They are found from the intertidal zone to 435m although most are found no more than 120m. They prefer temperate saltwater. |
Importance
Ecological
There is not much of an ecological importance of sea stars. Most fisherman view them as a pest. |
Economical
There is no information regarding the economical importance of sunflower sea stars to humans. |
Facts about the Sunflower Sea Star
- When hunting for food, the sunflower star swings along on its 15,000 tube feet moving at a fast speed for a sea star of over 40 inches per minute.
- Juvenile sunflower stars start life with five arms.
- When the sunflower sea star is fully matured they have up to 24 arms.
- A sunflower star can swallow an entire sea urchin
- It can live up to 8 years.
Vocabulary
- Tube foot - one of numerous small, tubular processes on the ventral body surface of most echinoderms, used for locomotion and grasping.
- Fissiparity - reproduction of some multicellular organisms by division, as in the case of some starfish
- Aboral - The functional upper surface toward or on the opposite end from the mouth.
- Ampulla - The bulb atop each tube foot
- Ambulacral Groove - The fissure among the midline of the oral surface of each arm of the sea star.
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Resources
Sunflower Sea Star http://quizlet.com/3238568/starfish-vocab-flash-cards/ Pycnopodia helianthoides http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pycnopodia_helianthoides/ SEA STARS OF THE PACIFIC http://www.seastarsofthepacificnorthwest.info/species/sunflower_star.html |