A star in the ocean

Our beautiful earth never fails to amaze us, as it is home to many species of animals. Some people like to adore the beauty of these creatures from their TV screens, and some take a step further and jump into a jeep as it drives through dense forests. Such safaris are very popular among animal enthusiasts. Every day, explorers uncover hidden corners of the blue planet in the hope of finding something their eyes have never witnessed. One such place is the ocean, the blue blanket that engulfs most of our planet.

The sea is a strange but magical place. It is home to many creatures, like dolphins,whales, sharks, and starfish. Wait, what? A "star fish". As the name suggests, it is a star fish.Do you know that starfish have a superpower? They are well-known for their ability to regenerate a lost part of their body, such as a lost arm. This is not what I like the most. A starfish's WHOLE BODY can regenerate from an arm. Isn't this power "super" enough for you? When was the last time you saw someone do this? A lizard in your house releasing its tail when in danger and growing it back could be the nearest example. The ocean is a beautiful but also a dangerous place for creatures like starfish, which are often attacked by predators lurking around. Regenerative capabilities are a blessing in this case.

Talking about predators, starfish are voracious predators who like to feed on other sea dwellers, including mollusks and crustaceans. In this way, they also contribute to maintaining ecological balance. Would it be wrong to call them the ecosystem's engineers? Not only this, but the health of the surrounding ecosystem can be detected by observing starfish as they react to fluctuations in temperature and water quality. A dip in their population could give us clues about environmental stressors such as water pollution. By studying these factors, necessary steps can be taken in the form of conservation efforts.

How do they navigate? Having a simple nervous system, they can still navigate through their marine world with the help of inputs from sensory organs and natural instincts. Guess where the eyes are placed on a starfish? Their arms. Having an eye on each arm gives them a large field of vision. This is how they avoid straying too far away from their home, as the scientists hypothesize.

Next time you see reflections of the stars from the sky on the sea, know that there are a few swimming beneath too.

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