Starfish Leptasterias

Hamel, J.F. and Mercier, A., Prespawning behavior, spawning, and development of brooding starfish Leptasterias polaris, Biol. Bull., 188, 32, 1995. 

Extracts of tube feet or stomach juice from a starfish release these responses. Extract from a small starfish (Leptasterias sp., 2-3 cm from arm tip to arm tip) triggers escape responses in abalone which is 10 cm or longer ... 

A bed of surfgrass protects limpets and other small mollusks because large predators find the thin fluttering leaves relatively inaccessible. However, one local resident that preys persistently on these little creatures is the lovely six-rayed star (Leptasterias hexac-tis), a small pinkish starfish about 3 centimeters (1.25 inches) in... 

Symmetry of order 5 is easily recogni2able in most sea urchins and starfish, but not all sea stars have five arms all species of the genus Leptasterias have six arms, Luidia ciliaris, very common in Brittany, has seven, and in some families the number of arms varies from 7 to 14, from 15 to 24, from 25 to 45, or from 15 to 50 (Tetry, 1972). 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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