Starfish

Starfish: small animals with many arms

Besides the many shells, Miramar also has display cases featuring other marine animals. In the ‘wunderkammer’, for instance, you will find a glass cabinet full of starfish. As the name suggests, these animals are shaped like stars. Some starfish have more than ten arms, like the sunstar.

Did you know?

Starfish belong to the family of ‘echinodermata’, which means spiny-skinned animals. Sea urchins also belong to this family. You can probably guess why!

Dried starfish

To ensure that the marine animals in the museum are well preserved, most of them have been dried. This includes the different types of starfish. Because they are dried, the starfish with the thinnest arms, such as the serpent stars, are exceptionally fragile. When cleaning the display cases or moving the starfish, extreme care is necessary.