The Spotted Linckia, also known as Linckia multifora, is a type of starfish. It has a lot of other cool names too!
Some folks call it the Dalmatian Linckia, Mottled Linckia, Multicolor Sea Star, or Multi-pore Sea Star. This starfish is a member of the Ophidiasteridae family.
What Does the Spotted Linckia Look Like?
The Spotted Linckia has a small disk and five long, slim arms. These arms get a bit smaller as they reach the ends.
One of the fun things about Spotted Linckia starfish is that it can be many different colors! It can be brown, pink, red, or gray and it has small red spots.
The surface of the Spotted Linckia is rough and covered in tiny bumps called granulations. This starfish can grow to be 2 to 5 inches in diameter.
Where Can the Spotted Linckia Be Found?
The Spotted Linckia is found in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the western Pacific up to Japan, down to Lord Howe Island, east to the Pitcairn Islands, and even northeast to Hawaii.
If you were to dive down to the sea floor, you might find Spotted Linckia as far down as 700 feet deep. It likes to hang out in coral reefs.
What Is Unique About the Biology of The Spotted Linckia?
The Spotted Linckia has a neat trick up its sleeve. It can lose one or more of its arms on purpose. This is called autotomy. When an arm comes off, it can grow into a whole new starfish!
This happens so often that it’s a way for the Spotted Linckia to make more of itself. Most of these starfish show signs that they’ve lost an arm at some point.
How Does the Spotted Linckia Lose an Arm?
When a Spotted Linckia loses an arm, it doesn’t happen all of a sudden. It starts with a small crack on the lower surface of the arm. This crack spreads to nearby parts.
Then, the tiny feet on the arm and body pull the two parts apart. This can take about an hour to happen.
After about 10 days, the wound heals and the starfish starts to grow a new arm. It takes several months for a new arm to grow filly.
What Happens to The Lost Arm?
The arm that falls off is called a comet. It can move around on its own. It takes about 10 months for a comet to grow a new disk and arms that are about half an inch long.
If an arm is cut into pieces, the pieces that are longer than half an inch can also grow into a new starfish.
What Animals Interact with The Spotted Linckia?
There’s a snail called Stylifer linckiae that is found on or in the Spotted Linckia. This snail is a parasite, which means it takes stuff from the starfish to live.
Can the Spotted Linckia Be Kept in An Aquarium?
Yes, the Spotted Linckia can be kept in an aquarium. It eats things like bacteria films and sponges. You can find these in tanks that have been set up for a while.
The Spotted Linckia is good at dealing with changes in pH, salt levels, and temperature. But you need to be careful when you first put it in a tank.
Spotted Linckia Characteristics
| Maximum Size: | 13 cm (5.1 in) |
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Asteroidea |
| Order: | Valvatida |
| Family: | Ophidiasteridae |
| Genus: | Linckia |
| Scientific Name: | Linckia multifora |
| Also Known As: | Spotted Linckia, Dalmatian Linckia, Mottled Linckia, Multicolor Sea Star, Multi-pore Sea Star |
| Conservation Status: | Unknown |