What is the starfishes diet?

Starfish, or sea stars, are surprisingly voracious carnivores! Their diet depends on the species, but here's a general overview:

Common Prey:

* Mollusks: This is a major food source for many starfish. They pry open clams, oysters, mussels, and snails with their strong arms and tube feet.

* Barnacles: These crustaceans stuck to rocks are easily devoured by starfish.

* Worms: Starfish will consume various worms, including polychaete worms, which they find in the sand or under rocks.

* Other invertebrates: They also eat crustaceans like crabs and shrimp, as well as sea urchins and brittle stars.

* Dead animals: Some starfish are opportunistic feeders and will scavenge on dead fish or other marine animals.

How they eat:

Starfish use their tube feet to open their prey and then push their stomach out through their mouths. They digest their food externally before pulling their stomach back into their body.

Examples of specialized diets:

* Crown-of-thorns starfish: These destructive eaters specialize on coral polyps.

* Sun stars: These large starfish are known to devour sea urchins, which helps control their populations.

Interesting fact: Some starfish can eat prey much larger than themselves! For example, the sunflower starfish can consume an entire clam that is three times its own size.