The Blue Star, scientifically known as Linckia laevigata, is a kind of sea starfish. It lives in the shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific.
You can find Blue Star in coral reefs and seagrass beds, and it likes to live on sandy or hard surfaces.
What Are Some Features of The Blue Star?
The Blue Star can be of many colors, but most often it’s a shade of blue. It can also be purple, aqua, or orange.
Blue Star is a pretty big sea star, growing up to 30 cm (11.8 in) in size. The tips of its arms are rounded, and it may have light or dark spots on them.
The arms are a bit long and tubular, like most of its family, the Ophidiasteridae. It also has short, yellowish tube feet.
How Does the Blue Star Move?
The Blue Star is not a fast-mover. It moves at a mean speed of 8.1 cm/min. It lives under the sea, or sometimes at the shore.
Unique Characteristics of The Blue Star
- Regenerative capabilities: The Blue Star can grow back parts of its body that it loses.
- Defensive autotomy: The Blue Star can lose parts of its body on purpose to avoid predators.
- Possible asexual reproduction: The Blue Star might be able to reproduce without a partner, just like its relative, the Linckia multifora.
What Are Some Threats to The Blue Star?
The Blue Star has a few natural enemies. Some species of pufferfish, triton shells, harlequin shrimp, and even some sea anemones have been known to eat the Blue Star.
Blue Star is also prone to parasitization by a species of the parasitic gastropod Thyca crystallina.
Does the Blue Star Have Any Relationships with Other Sea Creatures?
Yes, the Blue Star does have some relationships with other sea creatures. For example, Periclimenes shrimp are sometimes found on the surface of the Blue Star, where they pick up mucus and detritus.
Can You Keep Blue Star in An Aquarium?
The Blue Star is pretty popular with people who keep marine aquariums, but it needs to be acclimated slowly to the tank system.
Blue Star also needs a food source similar to what it would find in its natural habitat. In the aquarium, they’ve been observed eating Asterina Starfish, which are often found in aquariums.
What’s the Impact of Human Activities on The Blue Star?
The Blue Star is often collected for the sea-shell trade, where its dried skeleton is sold for decoration.
This has led to a decrease in Blue Star’s population in some areas, due to over-harvesting for the trade and tourism industries.
Blue Star Characteristics
| Maximum Size: | 30 cm (11.8 in) |
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Ophidiasteridae |
| Genus: | Linckia |
| Scientific Name: | Linckia laevigata |
| Also Known As: | Blue Star, Blue Linckia |
| Conservation Status: | Unknown |