Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Science

How starfish control tube feet without a central nervous system or brain

Starfish, also known as sea stars, are equipped with an almost alien-like anatomy. Despite lacking a brain, blood, and central nervous system, these odd creatures still have locomotive abilities. The structure of their many flexible tube feet has been well-studied, but it is still unclear exactly ho...

How starfish control tube feet without a central nervous system or brain
Image: Phys.org
Starfish, also known as sea stars, are equipped with an almost alien-like anatomy. Despite lacking a brain, blood, and central nervous system, these odd creatures still have locomotive abilities. The structure of their many flexible tube feet has been well-studied, but it is still unclear exactly how they function without a brain and central nervous system. But a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that starfish seem to employ a local mechanical feedback system to get around.

Originally published at Phys.org

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