Red Linkia Starfish Survival

[LovinlifeinGuam]

No offense, but half a year is not what I would consider success for a captive organism, especially linkia that seem to fall off just before the one year mark

I think it would be at least a year for an organism or longer for long lived species

I understand that people get excited and it probably has been eating asterina stars. The thing is though, most starfish species will act as generalists if their primary food source is absent. Even though they're eating something doesn't mean it can sustain them and it doesn't necessarily mean it has sustained them up to this point. Starvation is a very slow process.

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

Threads like this aren't uncommon at all actually. Somebody else thinks they've cracked the case because of a particular reason and post on here that they think they figured it out.

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

I have had amazing success with my Blue Linkia and I don’t have any asterina stars in my tank. Not sure what I’m doing lol but he is surviving and growing.

I did not know there was a predator other than the harlequin shrimp that could wipe out asterina stars!

This means if I do get an outbreak of the coral eating variety, I won't have to spend over $1000 on a harlequin shrimp (since that's how much they cost in Australia for some reason!)

 

[bluemon]

I did not know there was a predator other than the harlequin shrimp that could wipe out asterina stars!

This means if I do get an outbreak of the coral eating variety, I won't have to spend over $1000 on a harlequin shrimp (since that's how much they cost in Australia for some reason!)

Living on islands definitely sucks with their biosecurity concerns.

I do get why they have to do this though.

I’m also sure there are some local sea life that eat starfish though.

Maybe a baby Giant Triton snail?

Looks like that specific snail is also very well protected; I’m sure something in your waters eats starfish though

 

[EliMelly]

Threads like this aren't uncommon at all actually. Somebody else thinks they've cracked the case because of a particular reason and post on here that they think they figured it out.

That’s the way we learn. We all post about successes and failures and go from there.

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

Living on islands definitely sucks with their biosecurity concerns.

I do get why they have to do this though.

I’m also sure there are some local sea life that eat starfish though.

Maybe a baby Giant Triton snail?

Looks like that specific snail is also very well protected; I’m sure something in your waters eats starfish though

The biosecurity laws are certainly annoying, especially since my tank is going to be invert dominated. At least it's not as bad as Hawaii's situation with keeping aquariums though.

Other than harlequin shrimp and linkia stars, I can't find anything native to Australia which can eliminate asterina stars.

Even if the Triton snail was not protected and is available locally at a similar price to the linkia stars, I would still choose the linkia stars over the Triton snail since the snail can get up to 60cm!

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

That’s the way we learn. We all post about successes and failures and go from there.

I wasn't criticizing anyone. Please don't make it sound as if I was. Regarding what you said here, I agree that's USUALLY the case. It's not the case with these or most starfish. We've had an overwhelming number of posts that tell of the starfish dying within a very short time frame and the ones who outlive what we arbitrarily consider to be long term success with them don't know why they have "success". We haven't learned from that.
That wasn't my point though.

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

I would only say this about VERY few fish or inverts commonly kept, but in the case of Linckia laevigata, they shouldn't be purchased except for if there's a well thought out plan that's differen't from the overwhelming number that die ridiculously quickly. Purchasing a living animal that's far more complex and even intelligent than they appear physically should not be encouraged or bought to "try your chances".

 

[bluemon]

I would only say this about VERY few fish or inverts commonly kept, but in the case of Linckia laevigata, they shouldn't be purchased except for if there's a well thought out plan that's differen't from the overwhelming number that die ridiculously quickly. Purchasing a living animal that's far more complex and even intelligent than they appear physically should not be encouraged or bought to "try your chances".

Agreed with you on that front, but I wouldn’t argue that a starfish is that complex or intelligent. No offense to any starfish reading this

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

Agreed with you on that front, but I wouldn’t argue that a starfish is that complex or intelligent. No offense to any starfish reading this

The literature suggests otherwise as surprising as it may be to most people.

 

[Crabs+Shrimps-69]

The literature suggests otherwise as surprising as it may be to most people.

Even though they literally have no brain?

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

Even though they literally have no brain?

They do lack a centralized brain. However, they have something called "nerve nets" that are spread throughout the body and enable many functions which would be considered intelligent depending on your definition of intelligent. If memory, touch, chemotaxis, vision, and even some learning capabilities qualify as intelligence, then yes they are intelligent. The yardstick for intelligence shouldn't be likeness to humans.