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BAT STARS are invertebrates, named for the webbing that connects their legs like bat wings. They live in the subtidal zone ranging from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico, among rocks, seagrass and algae, and they can be seen at the lower tides. These sea stars (which used to be called starfish) are omnivores who eat by covering their prey, spreading a digestive enzyme to break down the intended meal and then pulling it into their body. Bat stars clean dead algae and sea life from the ocean floor, which is an important role in the ecosystem. Their exterior looks very hard but is flexible with an endoskeleton made up of hard plates called ossicles that protect the organs. Bat stars — which can grow up to 8 inches in diameter — vary in color from purple, red and orange to green and yellow. Most have five legs, but they can grow as many as eight or nine. Class: Asteroidea Order: Valvatida Family: Asterinidae Genus: Patiria Species: P. miniate
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