Hose stars include about 2000 species and live on hard bottom in dark and deep water. They lack the anus and the mouth opening therefore acts both as mouth and anus. The stars are disc-shaped with 5 long thin arms. On the underside, the mouth forms a star-shaped opening in the middle. Most hose stars are specially bred and spawn eggs and sperm freely in the water. Some are hermaphrodites and some can change sex from him to she and then to him again.
Did you know that:
Hose stars can throw an arm as a diverting maneuver if it is attacked by enemies and the arm grows rapidly again.
