Starfish Dissection

This post will take you through how to dissect a starfish! But first, let's look at some facts about starfish:

Where are they found?
Starfish are found in all oceans; ranging from warm to cold to tropical to sea floors


What do they eat?
Starfish feed mostly on clams, muscles and oysters which they grab with their suction cup-like feet


How do they breathe?
Starfish breathe through their tube feet which are made of soft tissue that gasses can pass through


Fun fact!
A starfish is not really a fish at all, it is more in the category of invertebrates 

Tube feet-The tube feet of a starfish provide motion to the organism.  They also help pass food along the underside of the starfish and into its mouth.

Hepatic caecum(digestive gland)-These glands produce enzymes that assist the starfish in breaking down food.

Spines-The spines of a starfish provide protection against predators by making it harder to access the starfish's 'meat'.

Madreporite-This is where water enters and exits in order to access the system that operates the tube feet(stone, ring and radial canals).

Ampullae-These are small, bulb-like structures that control the movement of the tube feet.

Radial canal-This canal runs down the length of the starfish's arm.  It receives water from the annular canal and then passes it into the tube feet.

Coelomic cavity-This cavity is there to hold the organs of the starfish in place.

Central disk-This is the central part of the starfish from which the arms extend.  This is where we find the madreporite, mouth and anus of a starfish.

Anus-This is where digestive materials exit the starfish.

Stomach-The stomach is the digestive organ of the starfish which helps break down its food.