Sea Stars
There are many kinds of sea stars.
Sea stars live in oceans all over the world. Some live in very deep water. Some live near the beach.
Sea stars live in the sea. Sea stars don’t live in lakes or rivers.
Sea stars can grow bigger than your head. Some are as heavy as a large jug of water.
Sea stars can live for as long as 35 years.
Sea stars come in many colors. Some sea stars are orange.
Other sea stars are blue. Look at this blue sea star in the water!
If you cut a sea star in half, both sides will be the same. This is called symmetry.
A sea star’s color can help scare away danger.
Most sea stars have five arms.
Some sea stars have a lot more. There are sea stars with as many as 40 arms!
Sometimes other animals eat sea stars. Sometimes sea stars eat each other.
Sea stars have an eye on every arm. They can tell if it is light or dark. This helps them hide and find food.
Sea stars can lose their arms. Sometimes other animals eat the arms.
They can even drop an arm on purpose to escape! Sea stars can grow new arms.
Their feet let them walk on land. Their feet let them climb on rocks.
Sea stars have a lot of feet. These feet look like small tubes under their arms.
Their feet help also them eat. Feet move food to the mouth. Can you see the mouth on the bottom of this sea star?
Their feet let them walk under water too. They crawl along the sea floor looking for food.
Sea stars eat with their stomachs inside out! Once the shell is open they drop their stomach inside to eat.
Sea stars love to eat mussels. They wrap their arms around the shell and pull. The shell opens. Then they eat the animal inside the hard shell.
Most sea stars have tough skin on the outside of their bodies. The skin protects them.
Some sea stars have sharp spines to protect them. Other sea stars can make animals sick.
Sea Stars Review Questions! 1. Where do sea stars live? ? 2. How many arms do most sea stars have? 3. What happens if a sea star loses an arm? 4. What do sea stars love to eat? 5. How do sea stars stay safe from danger?
Sea Stars Art Project! Draw a sea star! Think about where your sea star lives. How many arms can it have? Sea stars can be beautiful. Some What is symmetry? people keep sea stars as pets. Would you like a sea star?
