Sea Star
By: Hastings Witt

    The Asterias forbesi, or sea star mainly lives in shallow waters of the Atlantic ocean. It also lives in the North American coast to Maine and the gulf of Mexico. The Domain is Eukaryotes and the Kingdom is Animalia. The Phylum is Echinoderm the Class is Asteroidea. Also the  order is forcipulatida and the family is asteridae. The genus is Asterries and the species is forbesi. Some of the adaptations that this organism posses are regenerating body parts, throwing up its stomach and eating big prey, and tubed feet. Regeneration is an behavioral adaptation, which means that this organism means to perform this adaptation. Throwing up its stomach is also a behavioral adaptation. Tubed feet are a structural adaptation because they are born with tubed feet. This species has five legs and is reddish pinkish and has tiny suction cups to help it was on the sand. This animal has bilateral symmetry and that means that it can be divided into two parts and it will be a mirror image of each side. An interesting fact about this organism is that when a female sheds her eggs which is about 2.5million, it provokes other females to lay their eggs too. This organism usually eats worms sea urchins gastropods mussels clams oysters  and crustaceans. This organism is an heterotroph which means that it eats producers or other heterotrophs. It eats worms, sea urchins, gastropods, mussels, clams, oysters, and crustaceans. Their predators are fish, sea turtles, snails, shrimp,and crabs. The Sea Star is ectothermic which means it is cold blooded. I love Sea Stars!