Friday 20 July 2012

Do starfish have eyes?

An eager Angus ran into the Centre this morning with a burning question which he said he was asking for his friend - Do Starfish have eyes? Hmmm, do they indeed? I didn't know. We looked it up on the internet and discovered that yes, starfish (or, to be more precise, sea stars) DO have eyes, one on the end of each arm. They are known as eye spots, are red, and visible to the naked eye if examined closely (and carefully). This from the marine life website:

"A starfish's eye spots lie underneath its skin, but you can see them. If you get a chance to gently hold a starfish, often it will tilt the end of its arms upward. Look at the very tip, and you might see a black, or red dot. That's the eye spot."

Thanks for the question Angus and friend - I'm away to change our wildlife quiz questions!
Becky

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