23. How do crown-of-thorns starfish move?

Juvenile and adult crown-of-thorns starfish do not walk on their arms but rather on a large number of tiny tube feet which occur along grooves extending underneath each arm (see Fig. 2). The tube feet are operated hydraulically using fluid within the cavity of the starfish. Only the larval stage of the starfish is capable of swimming (with the aid of small cilia). This movement, however, is thought to be so limited that larvae are unlikely to swim against even the weakest currents.

AIMS home page

web@aims.gov.au
Last updated - 12 December 97

Copyright ©1997 Australian Institute of Marine Science

URL http://www.aims.gov.au