Water Vascular System

Real World Example

Imagine trying to inflate a leaky inflatable mattress where air needs to travel through interconnected tubes to keep it firm and stable. The water vascular system in echinoderms, like starfish, works similarly by using a network of fluid-filled tubes to maintain their structure and enable movement. Just as the air travels through the mattress's tubes to inflate it, the water vascular system pumps fluid through its canals, allowing the starfish to move its limbs and grip surfaces, despite the seemingly unrelated tasks of inflating a mattress and coordinating movement in starfish.