Starfish Are Not Fish and Have No Blood
Sea stars, commonly called starfish, are not fish: they have no gills, scales or fins, and they use sea water instead of blood to pump nutrients through their bodies.
No. NOAA says sea stars are not fish. They have no gills, scales or fins, and sea water does the job of blood in their bodies.
Explanation
The common name gets it wrong. NOAA’s National Ocean Service states that sea stars, commonly called starfish, are not fish. They live underwater, but in NOAA’s words that is where their resemblance to fish ends. Sea stars do not have gills, scales or fins. Their insides are even less fish-like. According to NOAA, sea water, instead of blood, is used to pump nutrients through their bodies by way of what is called a water vascular system. They get around differently too, moving on tiny tube feet located on the underside of their bodies. NOAA says there are approximately 2,000 species of sea star, all of which live in marine waters, and that sea stars live only in saltwater.
Source and verification
- Source
- NOAA National Ocean Service Tier A
- Last verified
- Confidence
- 95 out of 100
- Verified by
- Ali Ahmad Chaudhry