Looks to be a Linkia but need pics under brighter lighting, no blueHi everyone, hoping someone could help me ID this. I’ve got a FOWLR tank, set up for about 4 months now, and for the first time tonight I’ve noticed a 4-legged star fish on the glass - any ideas what this could be and if it’s reef safe, as I’m hoping to eventually add some corals. It’s hard for me to tell but I believe it’s a maroon/reddish colour??
It is linkia starfish, keep it, it is very rare for a starfish to have 4 legs
It looks to be a young starfish, not sure on ID. The fact that it is young explains the lack of arms. Starfish can reproduce through splitting themselves in two or dropping limbs and this is likely a result of that.
Heres a picture of an sterina starfish splitting in my tank. They can also just drop arms to reproduce and I think that is what happened here since your starfish has one arm longer than all the others.
This is an asterina starfish which has separated itself to break a leg or two off for reproductionIt looks to be a young starfish, not sure on ID. The fact that it is young explains the lack of arms. Starfish can reproduce through splitting themselves in two or dropping limbs and this is likely a result of that.
Heres a picture of an sterina starfish splitting in my tank. They can also just drop arms to reproduce and I think that is what happened here since your starfish has one arm longer than all the others.
Yes, that was the point of my post. The picture was to show an example of starfish asexaul reproduction.
Its legs are way longer then the legs of an asterina starfish.It looks to be a young starfish, not sure on ID. The fact that it is young explains the lack of arms. Starfish can reproduce through splitting themselves in two or dropping limbs and this is likely a result of that.
Heres a picture of an sterina starfish splitting in my tank. They can also just drop arms to reproduce and I think that is what happened here since your starfish has one arm longer than all the others.
I think something is wrong with it, because it has 6 legs and appeared to have split itself in half, since it has 6 arms now, that means it used to have 12. I'm pretty sure asterina starfish have 5-7 arms not 12.It looks to be a young starfish, not sure on ID. The fact that it is young explains the lack of arms. Starfish can reproduce through splitting themselves in two or dropping limbs and this is likely a result of that.
Heres a picture of an sterina starfish splitting in my tank. They can also just drop arms to reproduce and I think that is what happened here since your starfish has one arm longer than all the others.
I know, read my post again. Im not saying OP's is an asterina starfish. I was explaining the lack of legs is likely the result of a segmentation as a reproductive process, either by splitting or limb-dropping. I used a pic of an asterina starfish as an example.
Asterina have 6, this one is pulling itself apart, it is still whole in this picture, it separated into two starfish with three legs each.
oh, I thought it already separated itself.
