The Honors Marine Ecology students continued their research into the anatomies of sea creatures when they disected starfish today. They have previously dissected squids and crayfish, and will be dissecting a shark in the near future.
Starfish, or sea stars (their true name as these creatures are not actually fish), live all over the world. In shallow coral reefs, normal ocean floor, and even in the rocks of the deep ocean. Sea stars eat clams, mussles, and snails (one group found a small snail shell in a sea star's stomach). The spiky-looking appendages seen above are actually the sea star's tube feet, using all of these feet a star can slowly crawl across rocks and sand.
The classes dissected the sea stars to learn more about their internal anatomy as well as see the organs and parts they had been learning about.
"It was really interesting," said senior Becca Gregory. "We got to see all of the canals and organs that allow sea star to live."
After the learning part of the experiment was over, senior Rebecca Leisher (off camera) and junior Mary Skora decided to make a sea star pinwheel; which worked pretty well, even though there wasn't much wind.
T. Tornatore '12