Pillow Sea StarClassification Kindom: Echinoderms
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea (seastars)
Habitat: Shallow patch, barrier, and fringing reefs.
Food Source: may consume coral polyps, clams, and oysters; or any animal too slow to evade the attack (e.g. dying fish) or algae.
Description of life cycle: As same as a Starfish
How does it move: cannot move quickly. However, like starfish from genus Astropecten and Luidia are capable of rapid, creeping motion: "gliding" across the ocean floor. This motion results from their pointed tube feet adapted specially for excavating patches of sand.
Unique characteristics: Pillow seastar can right itself if rolled over by inflating half of its body until the tube feet can get a grip. As it grows, it loses its arms and becomes spherical. Starfish are capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Asteroidea (seastars)
Habitat: Shallow patch, barrier, and fringing reefs.
Food Source: may consume coral polyps, clams, and oysters; or any animal too slow to evade the attack (e.g. dying fish) or algae.
Description of life cycle: As same as a Starfish
How does it move: cannot move quickly. However, like starfish from genus Astropecten and Luidia are capable of rapid, creeping motion: "gliding" across the ocean floor. This motion results from their pointed tube feet adapted specially for excavating patches of sand.
Unique characteristics: Pillow seastar can right itself if rolled over by inflating half of its body until the tube feet can get a grip. As it grows, it loses its arms and becomes spherical. Starfish are capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction
Role in the ecosystem: These bottom dwellers play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, as prey when they are free-floating larvae and as predator when they reach adulthood. Few animals eat adult Pillow Stars, which are apparently neither palatable nor nutritious.
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