A sea star’s tube feet

This is a close-up of a sea star’s tube feet, the tiny tube-shaped appendages located on the bottom of a sea star’s arms.

Tube feet help sea stars get around, albeit very slowly, but they can move thanks to these whacky style feet. More importantly, tube feet help sea stars eat because they serve as powerful mini-suction cups that sea stars use to grip shells and pull apart mussels and clams. These suction cups also allow sea stars to keep a firm grip on rocks and survive the pounding waves without washing away.

In the photo, the sea star is using its tube feet to hold on to the side of a glass aquarium. Maybe it’s time for a new comic book hero…the Sea Star with super suction powers!