COMMON NAME: CHOCOLATE CHIP STARFISH

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Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Valvatida
Family: Oreasteridae
Genus: Protoreaster
Species: nodosus

Biology 

They use their chips to protect themselves from predators. They never really swim, they just crawl.They feed on sponges, bacteria, detritus, & dead animals or plants parts. Their mouth is found underneath on the oral surface. It covers its food and pushes its stomach out to cover the meal.They can be found on soft ground then on a  hard rock coral surface.  

fun facts

  • The Chocolate Chip Sea Star is also called The "Horned" Sea Star.
  • It can regenerate its arm if bit or ripped off by a predator.
  • The starfish can't see any shape, color, or details. It has eye spots at each end of its tube feet to detect changes in light & dark.
  • It is often called a "fish", but really it is an invertebrate animal.
  • This and other sea stars have no blood. They have to have water regulate their legs. 
Morphology: Like the common name they look like chocolate cookies! This sea star has dark brown pointy tubercles on top of them. The "chips" are never identically the same. It has five arms and is asymmetrical. They can be found in different shades of colors that ranges from light to bright orange. They can come up to about 16 inches. 

distribution map

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Importance
Ecological & Economica:

They are commonly bought from pet stores to be put in fish tanks across the world. However, they are known for preying on smaller marine organisms, & eating parts of the coral.  In some areas in Asia & Pacific, they have sea shell trade where they sell the starfish's ornate skeleton. There has been a problem with overharvesting. This has decreased the echinoderms. Other than that, this starfish is safe from extinction.

vocabulary

Tubercles- Small round protuberances on a bone or the body surface.
Detritus-  The waste products of all the different types of organisms, including their remains after they die.
Ornate- made with special patterns
Overharvesting- over fishing marine fish & animals.
Extinction- When a species is non living anymore.

resources

Aquarium Answers
Shedd Aquarium 
CMS
Wikipedia
Starfish Facts