"Starfish tend to act more like radial animals so that they can be open to stimuli from all directions and move evenly toward different directions. But when they are in danger, they tend to use their bodily functions efficiently and behave more bilaterally. This remnant of their bilaterally symmetric ancestors may have benefited echinoderms during evolution. Concentration of their sensory organs and nervous system helps echinoderms observe and react to their environment more intensively, especially for tracing prey and detecting enemies. Concentration of their motor system helps to save energy and move faster. Additionally, their propensity for motion makes it more convenient to pursue prey and run away from natural enemies. Partial bilateral symmetry facilitates several difficult actions. Echinoderms resemble the octopus to some extent, appearing like a radial animal, while actually having bilateral behavioral mechanisms and the corresponding physical characteristics."
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:58:00 +0000
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