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Sea Stars (Also
Known as Starfish)
At Barnegat Bay
Shellfish we strive to be objective, but do not
completely agree with the following statement:
Although sea stars live underwater and are
commonly called "starfish" they are not fish.
They do not have gills, scales, or fins like
fish do and they move quite differently from
fish. While fish propel themselves with their
tails, sea stars have tiny tube feet to help
them move along.
We pose the following argument:
Sea stars use to be referred to as starfish.
Sea nettles and and the phylum Cnidaria
are referred to as jelly fish. They are not
fish.
This entire website is dedicated to shellfish,
none of which are fish.
So, what's in a name?
 
The Baltimore Oriole (image on left) was renamed the
Northern
Oriole when it was found to interbreed with the
Bullock’s Oriole (image on right) in a zone of overlap in the
Great Plains.
As the Great Plains were settled
and woodlands were expanded, the range of the
two specie were known to interbreed and thus
had to become one species.
Mallard duck - (Anas platyrhynchos)
Mallards frequently interbreed with their
closest relatives in the genus Anas, such as the
American Black Duck, and also with species more
distantly related, for example the Northern
Pintail, leading to various hybrids that may be
fully fertile. Do we need to change its name
too?
The above examples are presented to point out
the question "what's in a name"
In the case of the forbes starfish (sea star)
Asterias forbesi. abundant in Barnegat
Bay, no matter what it refer to, it is the same
animal.
Now, back to biology
<click here>
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