These Photos Of Starfish Butts Will Make Your Day

Why is it so hilarious when animals have human characteristics? Is it because animals are blissfully ignorant of the ways in which they sometimes look like the strangest aspect of us? Or perhaps it’s because they highlight our silliest traits and allow us to be self-deprecating in the midst of so much seriousness. A photo of a big-butted starfish has caught the world’s attention, and not only is it making us laugh, but it’s also helping us learn about often-misunderstood sea creatures.

What is a Starfish? To put this issue to rest, we'll say it bluntly so that your heartbreak is swift: Starfish do not exist. That's right, they are not real. What you think of as a starfish is neither a star nor a fish. In fact, it's real name is "sea star." Seastars are vastly different from fish. Incredibly, sea stars lack gills, fins, scales, and blood. Meanwhile, fish have all of the above. Much like sea urchins and sea cucumbers, sea stars are echinoderms. An echinoderm is a sea creature that has perfect symmetry. Quirky and magical, these beings can move remarkably fast and function in the deepest parts of the sea.