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STARFISH
STARFISH
K.LAVANYA
DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
INTRODUCTION
Asterias is commonly known by the name of starfish
It occur about 150 species of Asterias.
Recently it is renamed as sea star
All of which have different geographical distribution.
It is found in North European coast, North Atlantic
coast,Gulf of Mexico
Some other common sea stars are Pentaceros, Astropecten,
Asterina, Heliaster, Solaster, Luidia, etc.
SYSTEMATIC POSTION
Phylum : Echinodermata
Subphylum : Elevtherozoa
Class : Asteridea
Order : Forciphulata
Genus : Asterias
Species : Rubens
HABIT AND HABITAT OF ASTERIAS
Asterias is exclusively marine, bottom dwelling or benthonic animal
Asterias forbesi is found on hard, rocky, sandy or soft bottom
Other species have been found to prefer rocky sea bottoms.
It avoid direct sunlight, many individuals may gather at some place
for the purpose of protection
Most of them are nocturnal, remain quiet in day time and become
active during night.
They move by crawling on the bottom, mostly at a rather slow rate.
Many species of Asterias exhibit various types of biological
relationships such as parasitism and commensalism
EXTERNAL FEATURES OF
ASTERIAS
Shape Size colour
Radially 10-20 cm
symmetrical diameter
No of arms
7-14 arms Yellow, orange
solaster brown and purple
> 40 arms
Heliaster
Oral Aboral
surface surface
Mouth Anus
Ambulacral
Madreporite
grooves
Tube feet or
Spines
podia
Ambulacral Papulae or
spines gills