Splash Zone: Rocky Shore Animals

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Sea stars

ROCKY SHORE HOME

With the help of hundreds of tiny suction-cup feet, a sea star clings to the ocean floor as the waves wash in and out.

Fun fact: Sea stars have hard little plates under their skin that look like shingles. Like a suit of armor, these plates protect a sea star's soft body.

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They're not fish

Sea stars are sometimes called star fish, but they aren't fish; they're related to sea urchins. These cool creatures come in lots of different colors and sizes. Most have five arms, but some have as many as 40 arms.

Strange stomachs

A hungry sea star

pries small mussels apart with its feet. Once the shell is open, the sea star slides its stomach out of its mouth and into the shell to digest the animal inside. Then the sea star sucks its stomach back in.

MORE ROCKY SHORE ANIMALS

Inspiring conservation of the oceans