GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Many different animals eat sea stars, including fish, sea turtles, snails, crabs, shrimp, otters, birds and even other sea stars. Though the sea star’s skin is hard and bumpy, a predator can eat it whole if its mouth is large enough. Predators with smaller mouths can flip the sea star over and eat the softer underside.

Detailed explanation-2: -Believe it or not, sea stars are predators. They eat mollusks like scallops, clams, and oysters, as well as sea urchins, crustaceans, and fish. A sea star uses its tube legs and strong muscles to pry open mollusk shells just enough for the predator’s stomach to slip inside and dissolve its prey.

Detailed explanation-3: -The voracious carnivores are seastars, better known as starfish, and a new study by a national research group says they tie with polar bears as the top predators of the Arctic marine ecosystem.

Detailed explanation-4: -Some starfish species have chemical based defenses such as slime (see below), others have bad tasting or toxic chemicals in their body wall, while others have physical deterrents such as spines or armor.

Detailed explanation-5: -Predators. Sea otters have been observed to rip off an arm of this sea star to eat the gonads inside. Gulls will attempt to consume a pink sea star exposed at low tide. They are also preyed upon by other sea stars, such as the morning sun star.