Starfish are some of the weirdest animals you may ever see at the beach.
As their name implies, they are star-shaped creatures with a varying number of colors, arms, and even spikes. You will greater often see them clinging to rocks where the water can keep them damp and very cool, or in tide pools. Greater starfish have a stunning ability to grow back limbs they lose through accidents or predators, and can extract oxygen from the water with tiny modules all over their bodies. But starfish may not seem so interesting at first glance.
It’s hard to even think of them as animals when greater people have never seen one move, let alone eat. But they can move, and they have to attain nutrition sometime to survive. So what do starfish eat? And how can they eat with no visible mouths or means of catching prey? They’re in fact adept predators, although their meals are usually as slow-moving as they are.
What do Starfish Eat?
Starfish are mighty hunters and primarily feed on mollusks. Their main sources of food are clams, oysters and mussels, and dollars, which are usually attached to rocks or otherwise unable to escape quickly. They also eat snails and injured fish, when they can find them. Not all starfish hunt for meat, however. Some species find decomposing plants and animals in the water or on the beach and consume them, making for much easier prey but very lower nutritional value and increased competition from birds. Another starfish hunts in the plankton, catching sponges, water, and even coral for their dinner.
How do Starfish Eat?
Looking at a starfish, you may find yourself scratching your head. It doesn’t have any eyes, nose, or mouth visible, so what exactly does a starfish do with its prey, even once it has caught them? Their greater vulnerable parts, including the mouth and stomach, actually face the rocks or ground they cling to.
When a starfish has captured a mollusk, it first wraps itself around the creature tightly. Then it uses its mighty arms to break the muscles that hold a mollusk’s shell together, exposing the meaty interior. When it’s done, the starfish re-swallows its stomach and begins to digest its meal more fully.
What Can I Feed My Aquarium Starfish?
Starfish are exotic and colorful, making them famous features in aquariums. They can’t be kept alive on fish flakes, however, so you will need to be familiar with what species you have and what it would live off of in the wild. Greater starfish kept in tanks are of the variety that eats mollusks. As such, dropping in a few mussels or clams from the supermarket is usually all they need to be very happy and very healthy, but be sure to wash off anything you add to the tank beforehand. Some other excellent ideas are algae and frozen shrimp or prawns.
Greater pet stores that specialize in fish will have food designed for starfish, and you can also purchase food online. The frequency of feeding frequently depends on the species. Some starfish can go weeks without eating, while others must be fed daily. Once you have found the right routine, you’ll be able to like watching your pet hunt and feed with one of the greater unique methods ever seen in the animal kingdom.
See More: Tropical Fish Care