sea star

Thân thiện

A sea star clings to a colorful coral reef.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A marine echinoderm animal: A "sea star" is an invertebrate sea animal, typically characterized by a central disc body from which five or more radiating arms extend. It is also commonly called a "starfish."

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • We saw a bright orange sea star clinging to the rock at low tide.
  • The biology student carefully studied the anatomy of the sea star.
  • Sea stars are important predators in many ocean ecosystems.

Advanced Usage

• "Sea star wasting disease": Refers to a condition that causes sea stars to develop lesions, lose their arms, and disintegrate.
  • Researchers are monitoring the spread of sea star wasting disease along the coast.

Variants and Related Words

• Starfish (n): The common, informal name for a sea star. While widely used, scientists often prefer "sea star" as these animals are not fish.
  • Children love to find starfish in tidal pools.

Synonyms

• Asteroid (n): The scientific name for the class Asteroidea, which includes sea stars.
• Echinoderm (n): The broader phylum (Echinodermata) to which sea stars belong, also including sea urchins and sand dollars.

Related Phrases

• Sea star arm/ray: Refers to one of the typically five extensions from the central disc of a sea star.
  • The sea star can regenerate a lost arm.

Related Idioms

Học thuật

Noun

1. echinoderms characterized by five arms extending from a central disk

Từ đồng nghĩa

• starfish