Blue Starfish (Linka Laevigata)

Origin: Indo-Pacific. 15.6" (40 cm)

Will graze over live rock, eating detritus, algae, and associated microorganisms, but will accept meaty foods (bits of cleam or shimp) placed in its path. Reef safe; excellent for community tank and is very intolerant of sudden changes in oxygen levels, salinity, and pH of the water, and cannot tolerate copper-based medications.

A favorite of many aquarists for its starting blue color and general hardiness once settled into the aquarium. Difficult to acclimate; great care should be taken when introducing this species to your tank. Because of this they are susceptible to bacterial infections that can quickly cause the decomposition of the leg portions of the Linckia. Care should be taken to inspect Linckia frequently for parasitic snails, which usually take on the color of it’s host. Remove them immediately upon detection as they suck out fluid and tissueOnce accustomed to its new conditions, it is easy to keep and long-lived. These animals are notoriously delicate shippers, and more often than not a beautiful blue star starts to show white discoloration and begins to literally disintegrate a week or two after shipping. There are many ideas about why this happens (including osmotic or pH shock, bacterial and fungal infections, etc.), but unfortunately no one really knows what the ultimate cause of this problem is. The fact that we don’t know exactly what causes this problem does not make it any less serious - it still appears to be the most common pattern of mortality in these sea stars in captivity, so take it seriously.

This animal requires a long, slow drip acclimation period of no less than 2-1/2 hours in order to properly adjust to the parameters in your new aquarium. It requires the aquarium to maintain a salinity of 1.025 ppm. Lower salinities will shorten the life of this animal and incorrect acclimation procedures will void the livestock guarantee. ___________________________________________________________________________________

Interesting Fact: All echinoderms have radial symmetry, which develops from a bilateral symmetry in the larvae stage. Most adults have body plans with five parts that radiate from a central disk in the form of arms. The number of arms can vary with species with the starfish having five. Echinoderms have no head or brain. The nervous system consists of a central ring of nerves that extend into each arm. While echinoderms are capable of complex movement, each arm acts more or less independently of the others.

Starfish are capable of regenerating lost arms. A new starfish may be regenerated from a single arm attached to a portion of the central disk.