Blue Linckia
The blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata) is a bright blue, five-armed sea star of Indo-Pacific reefs. It can regrow a complete body from a single detached arm.
The blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata) is a bright blue, five-armed sea star of Indo-Pacific reefs. It can regrow a complete body from a single detached arm.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Blue Linckia in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Deuterostomia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Starfish From an Arm
A lost arm can grow into a new sea star. The detached arm develops a small cluster of new arms at one end, making a "comet" form, and gradually regrows the rest. This is both a way of repairing damage and a way of reproducing asexually.
Blue by Protein
The color comes from pigment-protein complexes in the skin. The star eats algae and detritus from the reef surface and is a regular sight in shallow lagoons.
Collected for Aquaria
The blue Linckia is collected for the aquarium trade and for souvenirs, and many die in captivity because of their sensitivity to water quality. See Common Starfish.
Blue Linckia at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Linckia laevigata |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Echinodermata |
| Class | Asteroidea |
| Order | Valvatida |
| Family | Ophidiasteridae |
| Field Guide group | Deuterostomia: Echinodermata (Sea Stars & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Bright blue with five long rounded arms; can regrow a whole animal from a single severed arm. |
| Class | Asteroidea |
| Regeneration | A detached arm can grow into a new star |