Brittle Stars Fish (October 28)

Brittle stars, a relative of the star fish or sea star, have 5 arms around a disc. They received their name because they seem to be brittle. If a brittle star is picked up, one of the arms may fall off to help it escape, but later it will regenerate the missing arm. Scientists were surprised to find that even though brittle stars do not seem to have any eyes, they can flee from predators, catch prey, and change color from dark brown during the daytime to grey at night. How are they able to do these things without eyes?

Biologists found an array of spherical structures made of calcite covering this organism’s body. These spherical structures act as a micro-lens to focus light onto a tiny area the size of a dust speck. The resulting image is then focused onto nerve fibers that feed into nerve bundles; in other words, the entire body of a Brittle Star functions as one huge compound eye! What seemed to be an eyeless creature turned out to be all eye! Researchers have even commented that this visual system is far superior to anything man has made.1 When you are visiting an ocean, take a look under rocks – you may find a Brittle Star staring back at you with its big compound eye.

Proverbs 20:12

KJV: The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

NIV: Ears that hear and eyes that see—the Lord has made them both.

Reference

Brilliant brittlestars: Entire skeleton forms one big compound eye