The Star of Joy

About a year ago, I went diving for the second time in my life! After about three quarters of an hour it was time to ascend to the surface, when I caught sight of a tiny, orange . It was about 10 cm in diameter, well, the size of the palm of my hand! I observed carefully its bright colours, its harsh textures and even its interesting habitat which included grey and white rocks, algae and sand.

However, unlike their namesake, they are most assuredly not fish, not even closely related. Instead, starfish belong to Phylum echinodermata, Class asteroidea. Living things are classified from Kingdom to Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and finally, most specific of all, . Also found in Phylum echinodermata are the classes of the brittle stars, sea cucumbers, sea fans, sea urchins and sand dollars. Fish on the contrary are found in a completely different Phylum, chordata, Subphyla, vertebrata (sometimes called Cranitia), class Actinopterygii. As you can see, the two creatures are in two very different classification groups.

Starfish eat clams, oysters & fish or any slow enough to be unable to evade the attack (e.g. dying fish). They are carnivores, and although the mouth is not seen, it has a mouth indeed; they have an opening in the middle of their underside. Starfish will attach to clams and oysters. Then they use their powerful suction cups on their legs and open the shell of their prey. Finally, they push their stomach out through their mouth and up against the body of the clam or oyster and digest it.

The type of starfish seen on the photo is called the "Smooth Starfish" or "Stilla tal- Bahar" and the scientific name for this extraordinary specie is " Sepositus." Sexes are separate; you will find the male starfish and the female starfish although hermaphrodite's individuals exist (An animal which has reproductive organs of both male and female sexes)

You will normally find this amazing creature living in rocky, sandy and as well, in Posedonia meadows (Algae.) This magnificent specie is usually found from 6 metres to 250 metres deep.

After I took the photo with this friendly starfish I placed it back in its natural habitat and let it live its normal life. It was an honour to meet this wonderful creature and so, after this experience, I wish to encounter more incredible species while doing my favourite hobby: Scuba Diving! I sincerely hope that more people will start practicing this hobby to learn more about the underwater world! The Star of Joy