Ochre Sea Star

Hello! My name is Ochre Sea Star. I am a beautiful star that lives in the ocean. I have five arms that I love to stretch out wide. Sometimes I am a bright purple color, like a flower. Other times, I am a sunny orange, like a piece of fruit. I live in a rocky tide pool. It's my special home where Ochre sea stars inhabit cool waters; water clarity varies by location. I use my arms to stick to the big rocks so I don't float away. I love feeling the gentle ocean waves splash over me all day long. My home is cozy and just right for me.

Do you want to know my superpower? It's my thousands of tiny tube feet. They are on the bottom of my arms and they are very sticky. These little feet help me crawl very, very slowly over all the rocks in my tide pool home. When the waves get big and rough, my tube feet help me hold on tight so I stay safe. My sticky feet also help me get my favorite food—yummy mussels. I use my strong arms to wrap around a mussel, and my tube feet help pull its shell open so I can have a tasty snack inside.

I have a very important job in my tide pool neighborhood. I love eating lots of mussels. When I eat them, I make more room on the rocks. This means my other friends have a place to live, too. Friends like the little barnacles and the colorful sea anemones can find a home because I help make space. I love being a helper. Keeping my tide pool happy and full of different kinds of life is the best job in the whole wide ocean.