Starfish Facts on its Ancient History

When it comes to researching about starfish facts on their history, it is actually a very difficult process because starfishes are echinoderms and their species hardly leave any trace in their fossils aside from their external ossicles and spines. This makes it extra difficult for the researchers to spot and identify fossils that are strictly from the starfishes.

But according to research findings, starfish fossils can be traced back to Ordovician which is roughly about 450 million years ago. There was also evidence that numerous species of starfishes became extinct as scientists were able to find starfish beds amid fossil layers. Thankfully, starfishes have the ability to quickly diversify their own species. The surviving species were able to evolve rapidly that they were able to morph new species from themselves.

The unique thing about starfishes and their echinoderm ancestors is that the ancient echinoderms were believed to be symmetrical in a bilateral fashion which is unlike the radial symmetry that starfishes evolved to be. But the radial symmetry of the starfishes today does not imply that they have stemmed from the same ancestors as jelly fishes which also have radial symmetrical bodies. Today, there are over 1,500 recorded species of starfishes that are still living.

Process of Cooking Starfish

The first step of cooking starfishes is putting eight large pieces of them in a pot filled with cold water through the entire night. Chop these creatures into little pieces as you wake up in the morning. You have to chop each of them whole, which means that nothing should be removed from the starfish. Put the starfish slices into a mortar, along with a small quantity of pepper, salt and butter. Grind the whole mixture into some thin paste. More...

Locating a Starfish

If you want to find a starfish, go to a nearby rocky beach. Typically, starfish stick to underwater rocks near the seashore. This is the best area to locate these wonderful marine creatures. It is a good idea to look forward to low tide. It is at low tide that the sea reveals a lot of rocks, which have been underwater. In addition, it leaves behind rock pools where there is a vast variety of sea creatures. The best time More...

Handling Dead Sea Stars

Also referred to as sea stars, starfish are marine echinoderms that you can find on tide pools and beaches across the globe. National Geographic reports that there are more than two thousand species of starfish, though they all have the same physical appearance, which is composed of brittle and boney calcified skin. In the event that you find this creature, either dead or alive, you must handle it very carefully so that its fragile arms, will not be injured or More...

Preserving a Starfish

The first thing that you will do when preserving the starfish is cleaning it. Use a little mild soap and warm water for washing the starfish. Soak the animal for about forty-eight hours in rubbing alcohol. You do not have to clean the creature first, but you may choose to do so. If rubbing alcohol is not what you prefer to use, you may alternatively use a mixture of five parts water and one part formaldehyde. This solution will give More...

Body Cooling

All types of living organisms will always have a suitable environment where they can survive. Slight changes in the environment will be acceptable because of an organism’s ability to adapt. But when the environment gets too extreme, the organism’s adaptation mechanisms may not work anymore. Temperature plays a vital role when animals choose their habitat. Starfishes live under the sea but they can be affected by water temperature levels too. Based on starfish facts gathered by researchers, starfishes can start More...

Starfish Facts on Environmental Dangers and Threats

According to zoologists who study starfishes and their impact to the environment, these sea creatures have a very important role in the oceans. They may look like decorations in the ocean floor but they are actually considered as keystone species because they contribute in creating balance of species under the sea which can be done through predation. With the starfish facts that people already know, it will be a good start to know what these animals do so that people More...

Starfish Facts on Asexual Methods of Reproduction

Starfishes are animals that are known to be able to multiply through both the sexual and the asexual processes. Based on starfish facts, not all species of starfishes can asexually create an offspring. There are species that strictly multiply through the sexual methods. But the asexual reproduction of starfishes is definitely a very interesting topic especially to kids. The asexual process of preproduction by starfishes can be accomplished through two methods. These are autotomy and fission. Autotomy is the process More...