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The opportunity to snorkel or kayak around the various anchorages on Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park really enabled those of us on this wonderful painting adventure to confront differences in sea life along different spots on the islands.
While we were in Twin Harbor Anchorage, all of us were totally entranced by the beautiful sea stars that inhabited the waters and walls surrounding the anchorage. I marveled at the variety of colors of these animals and wondered WHY when most animals try to make themselves invisible, these creatures seemed to glory in standing out.
The stars were gorgeous and the water was beautifully reflecting and refracting colors... creating an almost abstract design... I just had to try to paint it.... I may even try to paint a larger version!
Here's what National Geographic has to say about sea stars:
Map
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| Alana with a multi-armed sea star | |
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| A beautiful undersea world | |
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| A tiny brittle star |
Fast Facts
- Type:
- Invertebrate
- Diet:
- Carnivore
- Average life span in the wild:
- Up to 35 years
- Size:
- 4.7 to 9.4 in (12 to 24 cm)
- Weight:
- Up to 11 lbs (5 kg)
- Did you know?
- Sea stars have no brains and no blood. Their nervous system is spread through their arms and their “blood” is actually filtered sea water.
- Size relative to a tea cup:
-
Marine scientists have undertaken the difficult task of replacing the beloved starfish’s common name with sea star because, well, the starfish is not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.
There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.
They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers. Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water.
Beyond their distinctive shape, sea stars are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies. They accomplish this by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms. Some require the central body to be intact to regenerate, but a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb.
Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body.
Interesting, huh???
I've also included a few photos of Alana, a fellow painter and adventurer on our trip, (who is also a wonderful artists' model) as she played with a sea star one of the scuba divers had brought up on board.
There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.
They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers. Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water.
Beyond their distinctive shape, sea stars are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies. They accomplish this by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms. Some require the central body to be intact to regenerate, but a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb.
Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body.
Interesting, huh???
I've also included a few photos of Alana, a fellow painter and adventurer on our trip, (who is also a wonderful artists' model) as she played with a sea star one of the scuba divers had brought up on board.
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