"5 Shocking Starfish Facts!"

Facts: 1. Not Actually Fish – Starfish aren’t real fish! They’re echinoderms, more closely related to sea urchins than any fish. 2. Hundreds of Feet – Underneath each arm, starfish have hundreds of tiny tube feet to help them move and cling to surfaces. 3. They Eat with Their Stomach Outside – Starfish push their stomachs out of their bodies to digest prey like mussels and clams from the inside out. 4. Five Arms? Not Always! – Most starfish have five arms, but some species grow many more For example, the sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) can have up to 24 arms and is one of the largest sea stars in the world! It's found in the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska down to California. 5. No Gills or Lungs – Starfish breathe through tiny structures on their skin called papulae, absorbing oxygen directly from seawater. Image and Video Credits: Photo by NOAA Fisheries (original image at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-fisheries-weighs-protection-sunflower-sea-star-native-west-coast). Photo by Janna Nichols, courtesy of NOAA (original image at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-fisheries-proposes-listing-sunflower-sea-star-threatened-under-endangered-species). Video by Artur U.: https://www.pexels.com/video/colorful-starfish-in-underwater-seagrass-meadow-29277599/ Video by Algen Anquitan : https://www.pexels.com/video/close-up-video-of-a-starfish-in-the-water-5417186/ Video by Adrien JACTA: https://www.pexels.com/video/a-starfish-underwater-5358852/ Video by Taryn Elliott: https://www.pexels.com/video/close-up-shot-of-star-fish-on-the-shore-6051509/ Video by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/videos/beach-wave-sea-coast-holiday-trip-234714/ Image by Laura Guy from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/sign-alaska-welcome-usa-america-1786009/ Video by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/videos/sign-ocean-california-city-country-133607/ https://www.youtube.com/@d-brainfuel https://www.tiktok.com/@dbrainfuel