#bat star

[fungusqueen]

Bat star (Patiria miniata) at sunrise on a gloomy day

[feather-bone]

[ID: a digital illustration of a wide orange starfish surrounded by stylized purple sea urchins, water, sand, and stone. End]

#00192 BAT STAR

Patiria miniata

PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA, CLASS ASTEROIDEA

An intertidal starfish found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. It eats both living plants and animals as well as dead detritus - it secretes digestive juices to liquefy food sources before ingesting them.

[snototter]

A bat star (Patiria miniata) in Mendocino, CA, USA

by Don Loarie

[coolcomicbookcovers]

[dougdimmadodo]

Bat Star (Patiria miniata)

Family: Cushion Star Family (Asterinidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Unassessed

A small species of starfish found in a variety of habitats across the Pacific coast of North America, the Bat Star is named for the thin membrane that runs between its "arms", which has been compared to the wings of bats. Highly variable in appearance, members of this species are usually red with five arms but may also be yellow, brown, pink, blue or black and have anywhere from 4 to 9 arms, especially after enduring an injury or an awkward regeneration of a lost limb. As with all starfishes a Bat Star's arms are lined with chemical-sensitive cells and small light-detecting organs comparable to crude eyes, and through the use of these organs (as well as the numerous tiny tube-like feet lining their undersides) they crawl slowly along the seafloor in search of algae, carrion and immobile or slow-moving animals; lacking teeth or jaws, they feed by enveloping prey with their arms and then extending their stomachs out of a small mouth in their centre, externally digesting their food and absorbing the nutrients released as a result. Each individual Bat Star is either male or female, and when the waters around them are sufficiently warm females freely release huge number of tiny eggs into the water to be externally fertilized by gametes released by males.

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Image Source: Here

[dinoserious]

day 13 BAT STAR! was actually watching batman tas while carving this ​lol

[juliiluvvsyu]

Image 1 : Sunflower sea star - Pycnopodia helianthoides

Fun Fact: As a juvenile, sunflower stars start with five arms and as they grow older they grow up to 24! Σ（・□・；）

Image 2 : Royal starfish - Astropecten articulatus

Fun Fact: Royal stars are carnivores and catch their food with their arms. They even swallow it whole too! (^з^)-☆

Image 3 : Bat star - Patiria miniata

Fun Fact: If two bat stars bump into each other, they will start to look like they're "arm wrestling" in slow-motion (so cute!) ^ ^

September 26 , 2023 (๑>◡<๑)

[mallardbee]

Invertober Days 11, 12, and 13! I had a great time with all of these lovely warm colors