In Spanish, the starfish is known as “una estrella del mar”. However, it is a beautiful creature. It has five points, and is referred to as a starfish because it looks like a star. “Estrella” is the Spanish word for “star”, and “mar” is the word for “ocean”. Therefore, the literal translation of the Spanish term is “the star of the sea”.
The animal has two names in English: starfish and the sea star. So, the Spanish name makes sense once this is known. Fun fact about starfish: these animals have the ability to shed their arms - their points - as a defense mechanism. This also means that they are able to regrow their lost limbs if this is why they lose them. If one of their arms are damaged, they can repair their damage.
