These quirky creatures of the ocean have some fascinating facts that will leave you in awe.
1. Sea stars aren’t actually fish! They belong to a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms, which also includes sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
![](https://reefidbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/A0101-Fromia-indica_20131227-D4-West-Papua-47.jpg)
2. Sea stars have a unique way of moving. Instead of using fins or flippers, they have hundreds of tiny tube feet on their undersides. It’s like they have their own built-in suction cups, making them the original “hands-free” explorers of the ocean.
![](https://reefidbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/A0101-Fromia-monilis_B193465.jpg)
3. Most Sea stars can regenerate their limbs. If a Sea star loses an arm, it can actually grow it back! Talk about having the ultimate superpower of self-renewal.
![](https://reefidbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/A0100-Acanthaster-planci-P5200261.jpg)
4. Sea stars have a peculiar way of eating. They have a stomach that can be pushed out of their body to engulf their prey. It’s like having a conveyor belt of digestion! After a meal, they retract their stomach back into the body.
![](https://reefidbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/A0101-Pentagonaster-duebeni_DSC0141.jpg)
5. Ever wondered how Sea stars reproduce? Well, some species have separate genders, but others can change their sex! They are true masters of adaptation and gender-fluidity.
More about Sea Stars & other echinoderm like Sea Cucumbers, Sea Urchins & others you can find in the photo guide Starfishes and Other Echinoderms of the Tropical Indo-Pacific
![](https://reefidbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/starfishes-785x1024.jpg)