Starfish by the starfish in an escape response. The loss of parts of the body is achieved by the rapid softening of a special type of connective tissue in response to nervous signals. This type of tissue is called catch connective tissue and is found in most echinoderms. An autotomy-promoting factor has been identified which, when injected into another starfish, causes rapid shedding of arms. The lifespan of a starfish varies considerably between species, generally being longer in larger forms and in those with planktonic larvae. For example, "Leptasterias hexactis" broods a small number of large-yolked eggs. It has an adult
Starfish Greathearts Foundation Foundation UK delivers development programmes through Starfish Greathearts Foundation South Africa, which is a non-profit organisation (039-447-NPO), Section 21 Company (2003/002865/08) and Public Benefit Organisation (930008639) in South Africa. Starfish launched Starfish Greathearts Foundation USA as a full-time office in New York in 2007 and also has a volunteer division in Canada. Starfish Greathearts Foundation UK is a member of the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development as well as the Fundraising Standards Board, a self-regulatory scheme to ensure best practice in fundraising. Starfish supports newly orphaned children, or those left to look after sick and dying parents, with