When you think of a starfish, Patrick from SpongeBob SquarePants probably comes to mind. They’re supposed to be star-shaped — it’s in the name itself, after all! Real square-shaped starfish are extremely rare and are called cushion starfish. But there are other — external — causes that make them shape themselves into squares, most likely after injury and because their limbs grow back that way.
Other starfish also have birth defects that cause them to be square-shaped. Cushion starfish have more puffy bodies, while genetically mutated square starfish are more often flatter.
What new facts about the animal kingdom did you learn today, Pandas? If you have a similar fact under your belt that wasn’t mentioned in this list, share it with us in the comments! And if you’re looking for some fun content involving animals, be sure to check out these unfortunate animals whose day didn’t go as planned and these majestic creatures who messed with humans and proved that the animal kingdom is no joke.
