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| This is brittle star anatomy. It isn't as detailed a diagram as the one below. |
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| This will be what I use for Asterina sp. star. This is not an exact diagram of the organs and placement for the Asterina, just a basic representation of sea star anatomy. |
Thursday, August 30, 2012
anatomy of sea stars
the project
What I'm doing...
I am going to take two types of sea stars from an established aquarium. The two types came in on live rock as hitchhikers and have since multiplied, and they are the small Asterina sp. and the small black brittle star (unknown scientific name.) I am putting both types in the same ten gallon tank to monitor behavior towards different species, sexual reproduction, preference to different food types, and most importantly, asexual reproduction.
The asexual reproduction portion of the project is going to be difficult... I am monitoring both the asexual reproduction rates naturally instigated by the sea stars and the growth rate of the stars after I have initiated the asexual reproduction. After monitoring the stars for a couple weeks, I am going to start the division process.
The division process is basically going to be me cutting up sea stars. I know, I sound like a sadistic animal torturer... but after much research I learned that they actually don't feel a thing. And since they remove their limbs voluntarily in the wild, what's the harm in me cutting some off?
I am going to post some pictures of the anatomy of sea stars later, and explain how I'm going to divide the stars.
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| Asterina sp. |
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| A small black brittle star |
The asexual reproduction portion of the project is going to be difficult... I am monitoring both the asexual reproduction rates naturally instigated by the sea stars and the growth rate of the stars after I have initiated the asexual reproduction. After monitoring the stars for a couple weeks, I am going to start the division process.
The division process is basically going to be me cutting up sea stars. I know, I sound like a sadistic animal torturer... but after much research I learned that they actually don't feel a thing. And since they remove their limbs voluntarily in the wild, what's the harm in me cutting some off?
I am going to post some pictures of the anatomy of sea stars later, and explain how I'm going to divide the stars.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
an Introduction to Sea Stars
First, I should probably say I'm not going to call them "starfish," because they are not fish and it drives me crazy. Instead, I'm going to call them sea stars, which is more accurate.
Second... I should introduce exactly what they are. Sea stars are echinoderms, which are a diverse group of marine inverts with tube-feet and five part radially symmetrical bodies. That's kind of a weird definition... but when we get into exactly what all that means it will make more sense.
There are about 2,000 species of sea stars, ranging in variability from cold-water dwelling 9 legged species all the way to 40 legged temperate dwelling species. That's right, not all sea stars have exactly 5 legs.
Sea stars can regenerate lost arms, much like a lizard can regrow a tail. And sometimes, if an arm is removed with part of the central disc attached, it will grow another sea star. This is the basis of my project, so there will be a lot more information on this later.
These are just some of the interesting facts about sea stars.
Second... I should introduce exactly what they are. Sea stars are echinoderms, which are a diverse group of marine inverts with tube-feet and five part radially symmetrical bodies. That's kind of a weird definition... but when we get into exactly what all that means it will make more sense.
There are about 2,000 species of sea stars, ranging in variability from cold-water dwelling 9 legged species all the way to 40 legged temperate dwelling species. That's right, not all sea stars have exactly 5 legs.
Sea stars can regenerate lost arms, much like a lizard can regrow a tail. And sometimes, if an arm is removed with part of the central disc attached, it will grow another sea star. This is the basis of my project, so there will be a lot more information on this later.
These are just some of the interesting facts about sea stars.
what is the star project?
The Star Project is a research project dedicated to the study of sea stars. I am going to be studying the asexual reproduction of sea stars, as well as their behavior, species interaction, and growth rate. I think it will be interesting... so stay tuned!
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