Is a starfish still alive when its middle is lifted up and food is halfway inside their stomach but doesn't move any further for hours?

Yes, a starfish can still be alive even if its middle is lifted and food is partially inside its stomach. Starfish have a unique feeding mechanism where they can extrude their stomachs to digest food externally. If the starfish is not moving for hours, it may be in a resting state or conserving energy, but it doesn't necessarily indicate that it is dead. However, prolonged inactivity or inability to consume food could signal distress or health issues.