Super Starfish

Appearance                

Starfish, sea stars or Asteroidea (their scientific name) are usually star shaped echinoderms. The starfish that I saw were murky green due to their surroundings. It took me forever to actually see them. They were camouflaged perfectly!

Try to spot it in the first picture:

 (Clue: look in the middle, slightly towards the bottom half of the page.)
Their appearance really depends on the species. Some have neon colours as a threat, so predators won´t try and eat them! They'll leave them alone, because they'll think the starfish is poisonous. Here is a close-up of the starfish in the picture above: 

Diet

Most starfish will eat anything that is as slow as it is, such as: clams, oysters, sand dollars and mussels. They will also eat injured fish and snails when they can find them. While some have found a liking for seaweed, even though it has lower nutritional levels, others can be on the prowl for sponges, plankton and even coral to snack on. 

Although, what I find interesting (and slightly weird!) is how they eat. Believe it or not, they first break some of the muscles of their victim, and since their mouth is facing down, they have to force their  stomach through their mouth and devour it whole. After that, they have to swallow their stomach again and leave their  ``delicious´´ meal to digest. 

Fun Facts!

• Starfish don`t actually have brains! Instead they use their nervous systems.
• Even though their name clearly states that they are starfish, they aren`t fish at all. Like I said at the start they are commonly star shaped echinoderms, which means they are marine invertebrates.
• There are 2 000 types of starfish.
• They pump water around their body instead of blood! So the next time you might harm a starfish in shark infested water, don`t freak!
• If you do happen to break a starfish`s limb off, don`t worry; the can regrow body parts! 

The Nifty Nudibranchs

 Nifty Nudibranchs

Although some of them are no bigger than half the size of your thumb, they are one of the most vibrant creatures of the ocean! Nudibranchs or nudibranchia is a member of the mollusk family. Every type of nudibranch species is unique in a different- and sometimes crazy – way. Whether that is poisonous or talkative, maybe even solar powered! The most common nudibranchs out of 3,000 species are...
 The Chromodoris Elisabethina:
 

 This type of nudibranch is found in the tropical western Pacific and perhaps into the Indian Ocean. They are also one of the few nudibranchs that eat sponge!  The Phyllidiella lizae:

Most of these guys (they are actually both genders) only grow up to 1.5cm! That’s smaller than half your pinky finger.

 Now, last but not least the Vayssierea caledonica

  This species of nudibranch is one I’ve seen, but unfortunately the photo that we took of this one was, along with my mother, submerged under a huge wave. Make sure you stay safe while exploring rock pools! It turns out that although it is a common species still very little is known about it.

 Diet

 The carnivorous species of the nudibranchs diet consists of:
 *sponges, coral, anemones, hydroids, barnacles, fish eggs, sea slugs, and other nudibranchs. While the herbivores eat mostly seaweed and algae. Nudibranchs are extremely picky with their food. They will only eat the food that is the same colour as them! The chromodoris elisabethina would only eat yellow and blue sponge.

                                              








*Sponges are actually living creatures!

  Guess Time 

I took the photo below at Long Reef, but don’t know what type of nudibranch it is. Leave a comment to tell me what it is!

 Fun Facts! 

•  All nudibranchs have one foot underneath them. 
•  Some nudibranchs are solar powered! They get algae and store it inside them, where that algae gets light using photosynthesis so the nudibranch can use it. 
• Not all nudibranchs but some are toxic and others pretend to be use bright and vibrant colours. 
• At least two types of nudibranch species can make sounds that humans can actually hear! It sounds like wire is tapping a jar, but scientists have not yet confirmed what it is used for. 
• Nudibranchs have very poor vision. They can only see light and dark, but use their rhinophores (on top of the head) and oral tentacles (near the mouth) to sense what is around them. 

Conclusion

 The prettiest slugs in the world award has to be given to nudibranchs! Even though we know so much about them, there is even more to learn about these fascinating creatures!