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Starfish may be preyed on by conspecifics, sea anemones, [74] other starfish species, tritons, crabs, fish, gulls and sea otters. [ 38 ] [ 71 ] [ 75 ] [ 76 ] Their first lines of defence are the saponins present in their body walls, which have unpleasant flavours. [ 77 ]
Like other starfish in the family Asteriidae, Marthasterias glacialis is a predator and feeds mostly on bivalve molluscs and other invertebrates. [6] It has been found that secondary metabolites known as saponins , found within the starfish's tissues, have a dramatic effect on the whelk Buccinum undatum .
It is a voracious predator, consuming bivalves, gastropod molluscs, barnacles, crustaceans, sea worms, echinoderms, ascidians, sea urchins, sea squirts and other seastars, including those of its own species if other supplies are exhausted. Its preferred foods are clams, mussels and scallops, but will also eat dead fish and fish waste. [1]
Underside of a sunflower sea star. Sunflower sea stars can reach an arm span of 1 m (3.3 ft). They are the heaviest known sea star, weighing about 5 kg. [4] They are the second-biggest sea star in the world, second only to the little known deep water Midgardia xandaros, whose arm span is 134 cm (53 in) and whose body is 2.6 cm (roughly 1 inch) wide. [7]
The giant sea star only has a few predators. Sea otters and sea birds feed on giant sea stars, and their larvae are eaten by certain types of sea snails. They prey on several kinds of sea organisms including barnacles, gastropods, bivalves, and limpets. It eats its prey by extending its stomach so it can fit into tiny gaps, such as mussel ...
Triton's trumpet, a very large gastropod mollusk, is a known predator of Acanthaster in some parts of the starfish's range. The Triton has been described as tearing the starfish to pieces with its file-like radula. [39] The small painted shrimp Hymenocera picta, a general predator of starfish, has been found to prey on A. planci at some ...
The genus Linckia, as is true of other species of starfish, is recognized by scientists as being possessed of remarkable regenerative capabilities, and endowed with powers of defensive autotomy against predators: [citation needed] Although not yet documented, L. laevigata may be able to reproduce asexually, as does the related species Linckia ...
The common starfish, common sea star or sugar starfish (Asterias rubens) is the most common and familiar starfish in the north-east Atlantic. Belonging to the family Asteriidae , it has five arms and usually grows to between 10–30 cm across, although larger specimens (up to 52 cm across) are known.