Blue Sea Star cover photo - 50407372

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Most sea stars are carnivores (eating live animals) or scavengers (eating dead animals). They feed on prey that move slowly such as polychaete worms or not at all such as oysters. Most sea stars turn their own stomachs inside out onto the bodies of their prey to spread digestive juices. As the preys body softens, the sea star pulls its stomach back into its mouth. The food travels to another stomach for further breakdown. To eat an oyster, the sea star uses its tube feet to pry open the shells, then pokes its stomach inside to begin digestion. Populations of sea stars can damage coral reefs by inching along and digesting everything they come across. Some sea stars keep their stomachs in their bodies and swallow whole prey. After digestion, shells and other waste are expelled out their mouths. While they do not look fierce, sea stars are top predators in many ecosystems.

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