All about Starfish!

According to legend, the starfish symbol represents characteristics such as guidance, vigilance, inspiration and intuition. In Christian symbolism the Starfish represents the Virgin Mary (Stella Maris which means Star of the Sea) who lovingly creates safe travel over troubled waters and is also seen as an emblem of salvation during trying times. The star as well as the Starfish are seen as celestial symbols and as such, they represent infinite divine love.
Starfish or sea stars aren't really fish at all. They are part of a group of creatures called echinoderms and there are 1,800 known species of them. Starfish are very adaptable living in habitats ranging from the warm tropics oceans to the cold waters of the north pacific ocean, however, there are no freshwater sea stars.
The smallest starfish is only 1-2 cm wide, while the largest are more than 60 cm wide! Starfish can weigh up to 5 kg and can live up to 35 years in the wild.
Not all starfish have 5 arms, some have four, six, some sea stars have been found to have 40 arms! Their arms are covered in little tube feet or suction cups which they use to eat, hunt and move. Starfish also breathe through their feet!
Amazingly starfish are designed to heal themselves when they are hurt. They can even re-grow arms if they are torn off or damaged. They can achieve this by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms. Some starfish require the central body to be intact to regenerate, but a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb.
Starfish have no front or back, can move in any direction without turning but are very slow movers.
Starfish don't have brains or blood but they can change colour! Their nervous system is spread through their arms and their “blood” is actually filtered sea water.
Starfish have bony, calcified skin, designed to protect them from predators. They can also change colour! Their striking colors provide camouflage or scare off potential attackers.
Starfish don't have eyes! At the end of each starfish arm are many cells that are very sensitive to light. As a starfish travels slowly through the water, these special cells and the sensitive tube feet help the starfish find food.