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What does a sea star do when it finds a tasty clam?
By the time the sea star finds it, the clam has probably closed its shell tightly. It pushes one of its two stomachs inside out through its mouth and into the clam’s shell. Inside the shell, this stomach swallows the clam’s soft body. Because sea stars have no teeth, they cannot chew.
How does a starfish feed on a clam?
A starfish feeds by first extending its stomach out of its mouth and over the digestible parts of its prey, such as mussels and clams. The prey tissue is partially digested externally before the soup-like “chowder” produced is drawn back into its 10 digestive glands.
How can a sea star open a clam?
The starfish forces open the shell with suction disks on the underside of its body, and then inserts its stomach membranes through its mouth into the opening of the shell. Digestive juices break down the shellfish’s body, which is then absorbed into the starfish’s stomach.
How do sea stars open up clams?
Where do starfish find their food?
Light-sensitive eyespots on the tips of the arms help the sea star find food. Check out where sea stars live. Favorites on the menu include mollusks such as clams, oysters, and snails. The sea star eats by attaching to prey and extending its stomach out through its mouth.
How do sea stars find food?
Light-sensitive eyespots on the tips of the arms help the sea star find food. The sea star eats by attaching to prey and extending its stomach out through its mouth. Enzymes from the sea star’s stomach digest the prey. The digested material enters the sea star’s stomach.
How does a starfish feed Class 7?
Starfish feeds on animals covered by a hard shell. After opening the shell, the starfish pops out its stomach through its mouth to eat the soft animal flesh. The stomach then goes back into the body and the food is digested.
What do clams eat?
They are filter feeders consuming phytoplankton and zooplankton found in the water. The giant clams also consume the sugars and proteins produced by algae that live on their tissues. Giant clams achieve their enormous size because of feeding on the proteins and sugars produced by the algae that reside in their tissues.