Fact Friday

Panamic Sea Star

If you could have any superhero power what would it be? Most sea stars have their own superpower – the ability to regenerate their arms. These beautiful sea stars also have predators. When a sea star loses an arm to a predator, it has the ability to regrow the arm that they lost. Keep in mind that although this seems like a superpower, it costs the sea star a lot of energy to regrow their arm.

Photo Credit: Brian Beck

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Spotted Moray Eel

December 29, 2023

Spotted Moray Eel

How do you eat when you don’t have appendages? Snakes on land have an expandable jaw that allows them to move their jaws forward in order to eat their prey whole. Eels do not have this capability. Eels, like this spotted moray eel (Gymnothorax moringa), have two sets of jaws to help them feed. The oral jaws capture the prey, while the phalangeal jaws reach towards the oral jaws to pull the prey into its throat.

Photo Credit: Andrew Bruckner