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
Western Saharan spiny mouse Formerly considered conspecific with Cairo spiny mouse "Acomys cahirinus" but there are differences in the number of chromosomes. It may be conspecific with Chudeau's spiny mouse "Acomys chudeaui" from Morocco and, if that is the case, then the correct species name is "Acomys chudeaui" as this name has precedence. Western Saharan spiny mouse The Western Saharan spiny mouse or Aïr spiny mouse ("Acomys airensis") is a species of small, insectivorous rodent in the family Muridae found arid regions of western Africa. The Western Saharan spiny mouse is a small mouse with large ears, small eyes and a sharp snout. The