Meet the Demonic Starfish of the Deep, Gomophia egyptiaca

Habitat: Throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific
Status: Not Listed

Starfish. When you hear the word you probably harken back to your childhood, running along the beach plucking these darling little creatures from their stone homes. Well, I’m about to shatter that idyllic image of the starfish. Enter the Egyptian Starfish, Gomophia egyptiaca or, as I like to call it, the Demonic Starfish.

Of course there’s nothing “more demonic” about this guy than your ordinary starfish. It still eats by spitting its entire stomach out of its mouth onto its prey, beginning to dissolve the squirming creature on impact. And, like other starfish, this guy has no brain and no blood. It uses seawater to pump nutrients throughout its nervous system. Oh, and it can regenerate any arms it loses in battle. Actually when you think about it, any kind of starfish is pretty darn weird. The only difference between this guy and your ordinary starfish are the large spines that speckle its bright orange/red body.

You definitely would not want to handle this ferocious-looking five-armed phantom of the sea. It’s best just to stare and admire its menacing presence.