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GreyShuck

Unusual phenomenon may have stranded thousands of starfish on Welsh beaches (www.walesonline.co.uk)

submitted 8 months ago by GreyShuck to c/nature

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"Thousands" of starfish have washed up on a Welsh coastline with scientists looking to weather changes for the reason behind the strange phenonemon. The creatures were spotted in various parts of the north Wales coastline, from Prestatyn, Denbighshire to Rhyl.

With reports of mass starfish strandings appearing to be on the rise, especially along the Welsh coast, researchers are trying to establish if the trend is linked to climate change. Some suspect it may be linked to “starballing”, a behaviourial respose only discovered relatively recently.

The fish were spotted by grandather Stuart Wimblese who reported seeing “thousands” in water pools and along the shoreline in Prestatyn. "There were literally thousands of them," he said. "Some were alive by the groynes but sadly some did not make it.", reports North Wales Live.

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[–] GreyShuck 4 points 8 months ago

I think that what they are referring to is "starballing". From the article:

To their amazement, they filmed shoals of starfish hurtling through the water at breakneck speeds. Dubbed “starballing”, this behaviour is thought to be a response to environmental changes such as rapid currents. When in starballing mode, the creatures bloat up their bodies, retract their tentacles and detach from the seabed.

This lets them be carried away to better feeding grounds, but it can be dangerous because if the wind and waves are blowing towards the shore, as they can end up on the beach.