Luidia clathrata
In the past, sea stars have been referred to as starfish. This has changed since this animal is not a fish. Sea Stars are echinoderms, related to sea urchins and sand dollars. Most are divided into 5 sections.
Echinoderms have no blood or brains. Instead sea stars have a hydraulic vascular system that pumps seawater to circulate food and oxygen throughout the body. By changes in pressure it also provides ambulatory power to the hundreds of tiny tube feet on each arm.
The Lined Sea Star is an opportunistic predator which uses chemoreceptors (chemical sensory cells) to find its prey. Suction cups on the ends of the tube feet attach to its victim. In the case of a bivalve, they attach to each side of the shell and pull outward until it starts to open. Then they extrude their stomach around or into their victim to dissolve the meat. Next they pull that stomach back in and a second stomach finishes the digestion and passes the nutrients into the hydraulic system. This sea star also feeds by ingesting sediment and extracting food particles.
Most Sea Stars can regenerate arms that are lost to predation. The rate of regeneration is dependent on food availability. Reproduction is by annual spawning.
Sea Stars can recognize shapes using photosensitive spots at the end of each arm.
Live shells should never be taken from any Florida State Park.