Starfish

Starfish Temporal range: Ordovician–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Clockwise from top left: Linckia laevigata, Echinaster serpentarius, Protoreaster nodosus, and Hymnaster pellucidus. Not to scale.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Echinodermata
Subphylum:	Asterozoa
Class:	Asteroidea Blainville, 1830
Child taxa and orders
Infraclass Concentricycloidea Peripodida Superorder Forcipulatacea Brisingida Forcipulatida Superorder Spinulosacea Spinulosida Superorder Valvatacea Notomyotida Paxillosida Valvatida Velatida[1] † Calliasterellidae † Trichasteropsida[2]
Diversity
1,900+ species

Starfish or sea stars are a class of marine invertebrates generally shaped like a star polygon. (In common usage, these names are also often applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars.) Starfish are also known as asteroids because they form the taxonomic class Asteroidea (/ˌæstəˈrɔɪdiə/). About 1,900 species of starfish live on the seabed, and are found in all the world's oceans, from warm, tropical zones to frigid, polar regions. They can occur from the intertidal zone down to abyssal depths, at 6,000 m (20,000 ft) below the surface.

Starfish are echinoderms and typically have a central disc and usually five arms, though some species have a larger number of arms. The aboral or upper surface may be smooth, granular or spiny, and is covered with overlapping plates. Many species are brightly coloured in various shades of red or orange, while others are blue, grey or brown. Starfish have tube feet operated by a hydraulic system and a mouth at the centre of the oral or lower surface. They are opportunistic feeders and are mostly predators on benthic invertebrates. Several species have specialized feeding behaviours including eversion of their stomachs and suspension feeding. They have complex life cycles and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Most can regenerate damaged parts or lost arms and they can shed arms as a means of defense.

The Asteroidea occupy several significant ecological roles. Some, such as the ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) and the reef sea star (Stichaster australis), serve as keystone species, with an outsize impact on their environment. The tropical crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a voracious predator of coral throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and the Northern Pacific seastar is on a list of the Worst Invasive Alien Species.

The fossil record for starfish is ancient, dating back to the Ordovician period around 450 million years ago, but it is rather sparse, as starfish tend to disintegrate after death. Only the ossicles and spines of the animal are likely to be preserved, making remains hard to locate. With their appealing symmetrical shape, starfish have played a part in literature, legend, design and popular culture. They are sometimes collected as curios, used in design or as logos, and in some cultures, despite possible toxicity, they are eaten.