Written by Ona Gritz-Gilbert
Illustrated by Yong Chen
HarperCollins Publishers, Summer, 1998.
ISBN 0-06-027-193-0

A chapter book for ages 7-10. Watercolor painting for the cover and 19 black and white illustrations. 88 pages.

Something about Starfish (Asteroidea)
You would see Starfish if you go tide pooling. it is popular among the younger crowd.

Many children like starfish. Though you can see many of them in a aquarium, but it will be more surprising if you find one yourself in the sea. Pink Star (Pisaster brevenspinus)

Starfish is a well-known creature. They have no front or back: they can move in any direction without turning. Rather than using muscles to move their hundreds of tiny legs, starfish use a complex hydraulic system to move around or cling to rocks. The intake valve for this system is generally located on the top of the Starfish, just off center, as can be seen clearly on the Leather Star (Dermasterias imbricata).

If you've ever tried to pry a Starfish off a rock, you know how effective its hydraulic system really is.

The starfish don't have to make themselves symmetrical. They can rearrange their arms any way they please in order to wedge themselves into a small nook in the rocks, as you can see in the almost human-looking Knobby Star (Pisaster giganteus).

Starfish are usually sluggish, have five or six arms and get pretty stiff when you try to pick them up. The Sunflower Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) breaks all of these stereotypes. It typically has around 20 arms, moves, practically flows, quite gracefully across the surface, and is soft to the touch.

When a starfish lost an arm, it will grow back.

Other interesting starfish include: Ochre Star (Pisaster ochraceous), Bat Star (Patiria miniata), and Six-rayed Star (Leptasterias hexactis), mottled Starfish is also a Bat Star.

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