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Asteroidea

(True starfish or sea stars)

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Class Characteristics and Body Structure

  • Star shaped body (Typically 5 arms)
  • Arms each have different purpose (Gonads in one)
  • Central disc (Contains some systems and the branching off of arms)
  • Tube Feet (Locomotion)
  • Madreporite
  • Ambulacral Groove
  • Mouth and Anus (Separate)

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Members

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Spinulosida Valvatida Solasteridae Brisingida Paxillosida

And More!!!

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Habitat Preference

  • Benthic organisms found in marine environments.
  • Few exceptions found in brackish water

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Eating Preference

  • Mainly scavengers and carnivores some are suspension feeders
  • Some example of their food are: gastropods, bivalves, barnacles, polychaetes and other invertebrates
  • Feed by grabbing prey and secreting enzymes to digest prey

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Reproductive Strategies

  • Sexually or Asexually
  • Specific Gender
  • Releases egg or sperm into water
  • Fertilized into free swimming larvae
  • Settles to ocean
  • Or Asexually through regeneration

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Sources

http://tolweb.org/Asteroidea

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Asteroidea/

https://www.thoughtco.com/class-asteroidea-profile-2291835

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