What Do Starfish Eat?

Author : Efrain Silva

The starfish, my friend, is — beyond a shadow of a single doubt — one of the most unique water creatures you will ever come to get to know, much more own (if you are ever lucky enough to be one of the few souls to get one at the store). This creature is constantly being exported and imported, so sales can get high….hopefully, the ocean will never run out of these little beings, or then we pet owners would be in trouble. This is one heck of a pet I encourage you to have in your aquarium, should you ever get the chance and have the time + money to take care of it.

Now, a question that has been asked, by children, teenagers, young adults, middle - aged individuals, and even the elderly alike — to no end —- has been this : “What the heck can starfish eat?” Or “What do they like to eat?” Or even “Do starfish eat?” All some very valid questions that I am about to address in this blog, so keep reading down the lines….

First off, if you’ve never seen a starfish before, in person, or in any movie or show, or even in pictures, I encourage you to start out by Googling the name ‘starfish’ (or using any other search engine, doesn’t really have to be Google only…you can even search various ones at once, such as Bing, MSN, Yahoo, etc.). Then, click the Images tab and browse around, scrolling up and down as you see the numerous live images loading. Do that now, if it’s your first time, and don’t read the next paragraph until you have done so…I will wait for you….

Now that you’ve seen a starfish, yes — it is that beautiful little star - shaped creature that inhabits many beaches and oceans across the world. And if you got to see various images that resulted from your search, you likewise also noted that the starfish can come in multiple colors (as well as sizes and even numbers of ‘arms’ / ‘legs’, respectively). And here is the answer to the question of the hour, and let it put you (and those you know, who have asked the same question) at ease : YES! Starfish do eat.

They, in fact, hunt. What do they hunt? They like mollusks! They’ll find oysters in the ocean, clams, and even some mussels, if they’re lucky enough. Sand dollars are not out of the question, either — especially if the starfish is hungry, indeed.

Some breeds of starfish, but not all (keep in mind there are countless breeds and forms out there) also like to feast off of dead creatures in the water, whose bodies are in the state of decomposing. We may hear that and think, “Yuck!”. But to them, it’s not so — it’s survival, and “germs” do not affect or bother them in the same way that it does us humans….something to merely give thought to. Pet stores sell food for your starfish, so ask when you go!