The phenomenon of starfish curling up is mainly determined by its unique body structure and habits. Here is a detailed explanation: Inner Structure and Habits
1. The elasticity and toughness of the wrist: Starfish usually have five or more "arms", which are actually the wrists of starfish. These wrists have a certain degree of elasticity and toughness, and when starfish need to move or hunt, they will use this characteristic to perform movements.
2. Muscle tissue contraction: When a starfish needs to move, it contracts the muscle tissue of its wrist, causing the end of the wrist to curl inward, forming a spring like structure. This structure not only provides starfish with sufficient elasticity and toughness, but also helps them to be more flexible when crawling or hunting on the seabed.
3. Assisted by suction cups or spines: The wrist of starfish is usually covered with many suction cups or spines, which curl up when the starfish contracts its wrist to better attach to the seabed or catch prey. Flip over reflex and behavioral patterns
1. Flip reflex: As a lower organism, starfish also have the ability to flip reflex. When starfish are in an abnormal position, they will produce a reflex to return to their normal position. This reflex mechanism allows starfish to emit probing movements of their entire tube legs after losing contact stimulation with them, thus completing the reversal of their position.
2. Behavioral pattern: In observation, it was found that starfish complete the flipping motion by contracting and extending their wrists. Starfish will first contract its wrist, lifting one side of its body, and then gradually flip its body using the elasticity and toughness of its wrist until it returns to its normal position.
The phenomenon of starfish curling up is the result of the combined effect of its internal structure and habits. By contracting the muscle tissue of the wrist, using suction cups or spines for assistance, and utilizing the mechanism of turning reflex, starfish can flexibly move, hunt, and maintain a normal position on the seabed.