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Starfish
This red cushion sea star or West Indian sea star was found off the coast of Calabash Caye in Belize and was taken on January 9th 2018. It is the largest sea star in its range, the red cushion star can grow to 50 cm in diameter. Adults are found on sandy bottoms up to 37m, juveniles are more found in seagrass beds to have more protection from predators. The lifespan of this sea star is all dependent on the availability of food. In places with lower food available the star will re-absorb its own tissue, leading to a smaller size. This can show the stability of the environment where they are found. They can only move 0.12-0.33m per minute and mostly active during the day therefore it can be used to look at the environment. They also turn over sediment at a rate of 1.9 times in a day. This can help stir up food and micro-organisms for other animals.
Starfish
This red cushion sea star or West Indian sea star was found off the coast of Calabash Caye in Belize and was taken on January 9th 2018. It is the largest sea star in its range, the red cushion star can grow to 50 cm in diameter. Adults are found on sandy bottoms up to 37m, juveniles are more found in seagrass beds to have more protection from predators. The lifespan of this sea star is all dependent on the availability of food. In places with lower food available the star will re-absorb its own tissue, leading to a smaller size. This can show the stability of the environment where they are found. They can only move 0.12-0.33m per minute and mostly active during the day therefore it can be used to look at the environment. They also turn over sediment at a rate of 1.9 times in a day. This can help stir up food and micro-organisms for other animals.