Here's how it works:
* External Fertilization: Most starfish release their eggs and sperm into the water. The sperm then fertilizes the eggs, creating a larva.
* Larval Stage: The fertilized egg develops into a free-swimming larva, which looks nothing like a starfish. It lives off yolk reserves and drifts in the ocean currents.
* Metamorphosis: After a period of time, the larva undergoes metamorphosis, transforming into a miniature starfish.
* Juvenile Stage: The juvenile starfish settles on the seabed and grows into an adult.
So, while starfish do have babies, they don't develop inside their bodies like humans. Instead, they lay eggs that hatch into larvae, which then develop into starfish through a series of transformations.