How Do Starfish Breathe? by Iris

I chose this topic because we just finished our body systems study. I was in the Respiratory group which includes the lungs, throat etc. Starfish (and any fish in general) don't breath the same way we do because they live in water which we can't get oxygen from but they can. All of the starfish’s systems in its body are interesting but I chose to focus on how they breath. Starfish breath through their feet, they breathe by absorbing oxygen from the seawater there in. Most of the starfish's body is thick and ridged except their feet. Oxygen can only be absorbed through their feet. There are little balloon like bulbs that have very thin walls that extend from the inside of the starfish into the seawater. This allows carbon dioxide to pass out into the seawater and oxygen to pass into the starfish in a process called diffusion. Do you think starfish have a brain and blood? The website I got my info from: http://askascientist.nz/z139

This is a picture of the top and bottom of a starfish