Physiology
Staryu is a sea star like Pokémon. Its main body is a tan color with a gold formation at the center of its front. At the very center of its body is an exterior organ that resembles a red jewel called the core. There is a gold loop around its bottom-left point.
Gender differences
This Pokémon is genderless.
Special abilities
If a Staryu loses any of its appendages it can grow them back with ease provided the core is still fully intact. From its top point it can shoot water and bubbles to defend itself and use in battle. Staryu can adapt its skin in multiple ways including Template:M2, Template:M2, even Template:M2.
Its core can be used to reflect and refract light and energy. This grants it the power to use moves like Power Gem and Light Screen.
Behavior
The core of a Staryu acts as a heart for the Pokémon. It glows brightly when it's healthy and happy. When it is excited, scared or angered it will flash, increasing as the emotion intensifies. If a Staryu becomes weak, its core will grow faint and will also flash slowly when it is very sick or near death.
Staryu become most active at night. When the sun goes down the core will glow its brightest. Many will float from the seafloor to the surface and align themselves with stars of the night sky as their core flickers, displaying a connection with the celestial bodies of space.
Habitat
Most Staryu can be found at the very bottom of the ocean on the seafloors of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. There are also many found in the waters of caves which are attracted by the dark, calm waters. There are times, however, when Staryu find themselves in rivers that lead into the ocean. Staryu will almost never be found during the day, when they are in the deepest parts of the ocean, but at night they freely move throughout the oceans' waters and even rest at the surface.
Diet
- Main article: Pokémon food
Like most Pokémon, Staryu's eating habits are unknown but it's very probable it filter feeds considering the Pokémon's lack of a mouth.
In the Pokémon Special manga
Staryu debuts in the Red, Green & Blue chapter as a Misty's Pokémon, defending her from an enraged Gyarados in Gyarados Splashes In! and from Koga's Rhydon in Raging Rhydon.
Crystal encounters a herd of twelve Staryu during her journey. The dozen Staryu hound after Bill in an attempt to play with him, encasing him and his Farfetch'd in a dodecahedral shell not even Crystal's Cubone could penetrate. Crystal was eventually able to capture and calm the Staryu down by breaking them up from the inside, using the new Pokémon Portable Transport System to send her Natu inside.
When released from a Poké Ball, Staryu will target one of the opponents, spin towards them and shoot Swift. Each hit only does 1% damage but it is hard to avoid once caught in Swift so the maximum damage of 23% is common.
Trophy information
These starshape Pokémon that evolve into Starmie are found in large numbers at the seashore. At night, Staryu's red center glows and blinks on and off. It's said that as long as its red center remains, it can regrow its limbs. Whether it's related to Cleffa, another Pokémon with a vaguely star-shaped appearance, is unknown.
Staryu appears again as a Poké Ball Pokémon. It functions in much the same way.
Origin
It may just be a stylized seastar.
Name origin
Staryu's name is derived from star, referring to its shape, and yu, which may be a misspelling of you, in opposition to the mie in Starmie. The hitode in Hitodeman is probably derived from 海星, seastar, along with the combination of man.
For other sprites and images, please see Staryu images on Bulbagarden Archives.