Phylum
Echinodermata
ASTEROIDEA
Common Name: Starfish
Kingdom: Animalia
Higher Classification: Deuterostome
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
• “echino” = spiny
• “derma” = skin
• Spiny skin, internal skeleton, water vascular system, tube feet and 5 part radial
symmetry
• They are the most complex invertebrate phylum because they have skin, an anus and
the larvae show bilateral symmetry.
Habitat
• Echinoderms live in marine habitats,
although they can occasionally
survive being washed up and dried on
shore. Within marine habitats,
Echinoderms can survive in a wide
variety of places. Sea Stars and sea
cucumbers, for instance, prefer rocky
areas while others often reside in
sandy areas where they can bury
themselves. Some Echinoderms even
use other animals as homes such as
the skin of other fish. In order to stay
concealed during the day,
Echinoderms have adapted to match
the colour of their surroundings.
Reproduction & Development
Reproduction
• A few species of starfish are hermaphrodites and can fertilize
their own eggs. Most however, have two separate sexes. The
female releases millions of eggs into the water at the same time
as the male releases millions of sperm. Some kinds of starfish
that live in very cold water brood their fertilized eggs by holding
them within the body cavity until the young hatch. For most
starfish, however, the release of reproductive cells signals the
end of their parental duty.
Development
• Within the few days of fertilization,
the eggs grow into bipinnaria and
later into brachiolaria larvae which
either grow using a yolk or by
catching and eating other plankton.
In either case, they live as plankton,
suspended in the water and
swimming by using beating cilia.
The larvae are bilaterally symmetric
— unlike adults, they have a
distinct left and right side.
• Some larvae escape the fish and other animals that
feed on them. Within a few weeks or months,
those that survive anchor themselves to the ocean
bottom and undergo a change into adult form. A
new mouth forms on one side and tiny arms grow
from the central disk. By 1 year of age, the starfish
its own eggs or sperm and contributes to a new
generation of starfish. New starfish are also
produced by the process of regeneration.
• New starfish are also
produced by the
process of • Dividing Starfish
fragmentation.
Nutrition
Most asteroids are carnivorous, predating on:
• Microalgae
• Sponges
• Coral
• Bivalves (oysters, clams, mussels)
• Snail
• Phytoplankton (suspension feeders)
• Crustaceans (shrimps)
• Polychaetes (bristle worms)
• Other echinoderms
Some are detritivores, feeding on :
• Decomposing organic material
• Faecal matter
• Mud
Sensory and Motor Mechanism
Although starfish do not have
many well-defined sense organs,
they are sensitive to touch, light,
temperature, orientation and the
status of the water around them.
The tube feet, especially those at
the tips of the rays, are also
sensitive to chemicals, enabling
the starfish to detect odour
sources such as food.
Motor Mechanism
Tube feet (podia) are supported by a hydraulic and connective-
tissue skeleton under the control of antagonistic muscle pairs
systems. The essential components are:
1. A fluid-filled cavity
2. Connective tissue skeleton
3. Retractor muscles
4. Orienting or postural muscles
5. Sucker
6. Disc levator muscles
7. Terminal plate
Coordinated action of the tube feet brings about slow creeping locomotion. One arm temporarily
dominates and leads the way, according to which arm receives the strongest positive stimulus
(induced arm dominance). Alternatively, in some starfish one particular arm may dominate most of
the time (intrinsic arm dominance).
