Something weird coming out of Blue Linckia's mouth...

[Lithy]

A couple days ago I noticed something strange about my Linckia mouth. It was gine by the next day and everything is back to normal. Please see the pictures at link below and let me know if you have observed this or know what it might be.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ale.rugge/Starfish?authkey=68QPp1hg7E0

Also, on the same day I observed a tiny white sea star (maybe 1/4" in size) on my LR. A bad pic is at the link above as well. It probably just grew out of the LR but I thought the coincidence was strange. This would not be a baby would it?

Thanks,

Lithy

 

[rssjsb]

I think what you're seeing on your linckia is its digestive mechanism. I believe that stars protrude their stomachs onto what they're trying to eat.

I have no idea how linckia's reproduce (and I can see why you would think that given the star-shape of what was coming out of its mout), but the starfish on your rocks is an asterina. No relation. They're common hitchhikers.

 

[Lithy]

Yup. makes sense. BTW do you know what Linckia's eat?

When I first got it, I was very worried about starvation and tried to offer food to no avail. Now my Linckia (and Tamaria for that matter) seem to move around the tank, hang out on the rocks, park themselves on the top part of the glass and repeat in a cycle. Just today the Linckia was stuffing her mouth deep in a tight hole on a rock with the tips of all of its 5 legs visible. Feeding? Both starts look good and I assume they are finding what they like. A friend even commented the Linckia has grown in size (I can't tell because I observe it every day).

 

[LeslieH]

Nobody's really sure about Linckia's preferred food but it's assumed to be micro-algae, bacterial aggregrates, etc., all of which are in very short supply in the average tank so most of them starve to death. They can go several months before showing obvious signs of distress but when they do their demise is rapid. Yours is digesting off whatever it can find on the glass & rocks by everting it's stomach as rssjsb said.

 

[LeslieH]

Nobody's really sure about Linckia's preferred food but it's assumed to be micro-algae, bacterial aggregrates, etc., all of which are in very short supply in the average tank so most of them starve to death. It won't eat meaty foods, algae, detritus, etc. They can go several months before showing obvious signs of distress but when they do their demise is rapid. Yours is digesting off whatever it can find on the glass & rocks by everting it's stomach as rssjsb said.

 

[mrabolli]

are starfish even worth having? Whats the benefit besides astectics?

 

[LeslieH]

Most people buy them because the stars look good and without researching their needs. My opinion is that they shouldn't be kept at all. Many of them are easily stressed by collection & shipping & require careful acclimiation to survive introduction into a reefer's tank. In certain species the death rate is about 8 out of 10 before even making it into a tank. Stars can be useful in a large - really large - tank but in medium & small tanks they tend to starve to death. In large tanks their usefulness is counterbalanced by their never-ending appetites. Sand sifters do keep sand bottoms clean but eat everything else living in the sand. Grazers keep walls & rocks clean but take all the bacterial aggregates & micro-algae that other animals need. Meat eaters really need much more food that people give them; even so the waste food affects parameters.

But that's my pesonal take. To be fair, many people do an excellent job of keeping their stars alive & healthy and their tanks in good shape. Probably we don't hear about them as much because it's mainly people with star problems that write to RC for advice.