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In more advanced species of starfish, the cardiac stomach can be everted from the organism's body to engulf and digest food. When the prey is a clam or other bivalve, the starfish pulls with its tube feet to separate the two valves slightly, and inserts a small section of its stomach, which releases enzymes to digest the prey. The stomach and ...
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Asterias diagram 1 Pyloric stomach 2 Intestine 3 Rectal gland 4 Stone canal 5 Madreporite 6 Pyloric duct 7 Pyloric cecum 8 Cardiac stomach 9 Gonad 10 Ambulacral ...
Diagram of water vascular system of a starfish, ... [31] [32] In many species of starfish, the large cardiac stomach can be everted to digest food outside the body.
It rakes together heaps of sediment and then turns its cardiac stomach inside out and engulfs the mass. Edible sponge species are chosen in preference to other prey and tend to be eliminated from areas where the starfish abound. [4] The sexes are separate in the red cushion star.
A mouth is in the centre of the underside, with an oesophagus and cardiac stomach which can be everted. The gonads are underneath the sides of each arm. [2] Its colour is usually grey or light brown, but can be tinged with pink. The central row of plates on the upper side of the arms is usually dark grey or black.
The cardiac stomach is on the oral side, in the center of the disc. It is covered by a thin membrane and sphincter. When the sea star has its prey, it extends the stomach to envelope the prey. Once the prey is enveloped, it then retracts back into the disc, and transfers it to the pyloric stomach for further digestion. The pyloric stomach has ...
Small items are swallowed whole but larger items are tackled by the starfish everting its cardiac stomach over the prey and secreting enzymes to start the digestive process. Faster moving prey animals have sometimes been observed to take refuge under a starfish and subsequently been invaginated. [2]