Chocolate+Chip+Star

==== **__Common Name: __** Chocolate Chip Star, Nodular Sea Star  ====

**__Location: __** Found in the warm areas of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
==== **__Size: __** Chocolate Chip Stars are at least 6 inches or larger; up to 15 inches. ==== ==== **__Description of habitat: __** They inhabit mostly sandy and muddy tide pools & sea grass beds. These sea stars live in shallow water areas; coral reefs. ==== ==== **__Living Requirements: __** Chocolate Chip Stars do not have a hard time finding food. They feed on sponges, bacteria, waste products and even the remains of dead plants and animals. ==== ==== **__Life cycle of animal: __** Sea stars go through five growth stages before becoming fully developed adult sea star capable of reproduction. Females can produce up to 65 million eggs per each spawn. ==== ==== **__Male/female differences: __** Both sex are about equal in population and males cannot be sexed externally. ====

**__Facts: __**
====1. Since they don't have eyes, chocolate chip sea stars hunt using their sense of smell. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Although sea stars are invertebrates, they still have a skeleton. The skeleton is not made of bone, but rather a calcium-based ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">that easily move to give the sea star flexibility. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. The Chocolate Chip Star was among the first animals to achieve a scientific name. It was named by Linne himself in 1758 ==== ==== **__<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Human impact: __** <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Sadly, humans collect and buy this species as a dried souvenir- but with no major impact on the species population so far. ==== <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">

__ Zookeeper's Sources: __ __ [] __ __ [] __ __ [] __ __ [] __