The Strangest Legs in the Sea: Could Your Toes Out-Sniff a Starfish?

Ready to explore the secret world of the ocean’s biggest star? Brainless and beautiful, these creatures gallop across the ocean floor in a sea of sniffing legs—yes, sniffing legs. But how do starfish do what starfish…do? Your next trip to the seashore won’t be the same once you know!

So often, we miss the wonder right underneath our noses because we don’t even know it’s there! But never again will you be fooled by the chill, lounging appearance of a starfish on a rock. On the contrary, there’s far more to these creatures than you may realize!

Starfish are big suckers!

No, but really, they are.  From the tips of their legs—which can number anywhere between 5 and 40 ¹—all the way to their mouths, hundreds, if not thousands of these tiny, tube-like suckers drag the starfish around the ocean floor.

This isn’t just about locomotion, though: these suckers also smell, finding and attacking food for our brainless star through some fascinating chemical senses. Whichever leg has the strongest pull in a certain direction is in charge, dragging the rest of them along and making the starfish look like it’s galloping towards its prey.

But that’s not the only trick the starfish has up its legs! If one of its legs gets ripped off, not only is the starfish able to grow a new one, that disembodied leg has the power to regrow an ENTIRE BODY! ²

They’re pretty phenomenal creatures when you stop to take a closer look. So, who else is better to help us than our favorite channel, Deep Look? C’mon, check these crazy legs out.

Deep Look always gives us the most incredible chances to peer closer at the world around us and discover the wonder waiting to be found. If you’d like to see more of their content, check out their YouTube library!

There are so many awesome things happening around you right now that you don’t know about!

It’s kind of crazy, right? I, for one, never thought much of starfish. Sure, I’d get super excited when I spotted one on a rock or at the aquarium, but that was about the extent of it. But now that I know a bit more about how these creatures live their lives? Whew! I’m obsessed.

There’s so much going on right in front of us that has the power to provide endless wonder! Sometimes, we just need someone to show us that it’s there.

This is the truth that has inspired so many to look closer: peering under rocks, into space, through a microscope, and down to the ocean’s deep. We have a drive to collaborate, and in a lot of ways, most of our collaborations don’t happen between humans. Instead, we get to know our surroundings, studying the way nature works and seeing where we can make connections—collaborating with the entire world. This is how we end up shoving hair into nylon stockings to soak up oil spills. Who knows, maybe someday a starfish-inspired robot will be cleaning your car!

So, how do you feel about starfish now? A little perplexed? Shocked? Excited? In awe?

Make sure the next time you see one, you’ll pass this wonder along, too!

Want more beach wonders?

While you’re out there checking out starfish, you may be skipping over some other fascinating things, too. Like the sand you’re standing on… do you know what that’s gone through? (Hint: it has to do with the rear of one of the starfish’s cousins.) Or perhaps… you’d like to see proof of The Kraken?

Visit these articles to answer these questions:

The simplest things we can each do to find joy are to watch the world around us and ask questions.

Letting ourselves follow our curiosities can lead us down new paths of fun that make the world feel just a bit brighter.

As always, stay open to new possibilities! (Remember: starfish car-cleaning-robot. Can someone make that a thing, please?!)

• Sam

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