Starfish Reproduction?

JokerGirl · 05/16/2007, 06:57 AM

Are Linckia stars capable of reproducing Asexually?

The reason I ask is because my Burgundy Linckia dropped a leg when I transferred my 90 into the 120. My boyfriend had seen it up by the overflow, so I figured the leg may have gotten caught or that it had dropped a leg from the stress of switching the tank out. I knew it wasn't because it was starving because it was missing two legs when I got it several months ago and they have just about completely grown back.

In my nightly tank view last night, the leg it dropped was definitely attached to the glass and was still alive. It appeared to be forming a core as well. It was late so I couldn't get a photo.

It appears that I'm going to have two burgundy stars now??!!

frederickk · 05/17/2007, 01:42 PM

bump

JokerGirl · 05/17/2007, 01:45 PM

Thanks Fred <3

JokerGirl · 05/17/2007, 06:28 PM

Seriously... no one knows???

dc · 05/17/2007, 06:33 PM

Well I know someone who had the leg move around the tank for a couple weeks before it finally died. He named it Lurch. I thought they had to have part of the oral disc to regrow.

JokerGirl · 05/17/2007, 08:17 PM

Yeah see I have no clue, thats why I figured I'd ask. Was hoping Leslie or someone would chime in. The funny part is, though, that the wound where the leg fell off has actually healed over.

JokerGirl · 07/05/2007, 02:28 PM

Well, it's been over a month and the leg of my starfish is still alive. Just saw it again last night for the first time in a few weeks.

I am happy to say, I will actually have a 2nd starfish. Here's a photo of it. In the picture you can see the original leg, and the little nubs that are starting to grow in. I'm amazed that it's still alive!

aznlmpulse · 07/05/2007, 02:32 PM

That's awesome! It looks like a leach or some sort of parasite

JokerGirl · 07/05/2007, 02:40 PM

Yeah it's a creepy looking thing. Going to let it keep growing a bit longer so that it's established then give it to my friend.

dc · 07/05/2007, 03:17 PM

That is amazing for sure. You must be doing something right.

JokerGirl · 07/05/2007, 03:25 PM

I'm rather proud of myself

MTB · 07/05/2007, 04:24 PM

I beleive they are capable of regenerating from leg. It's no fact that I know of but beleive it is feasible. I agree you must be doing something right!

JokerGirl · 07/05/2007, 08:31 PM

I know that Linckia and Asterina are really the only two that are commonly kept that are found to asexually reproduce. I think it is much rarer to have the Linckias do this, though.

It's really neat, I never in my wildest dreams thought this would happen.

LeslieH · 07/05/2007, 08:46 PM

It's common in the wild. The single leg with the tiny nubs is called a comets. R. Rideout who studied Linckia multiflora off Guam said the comets were the most common form he found. He divided the Linckia into 7 different growth phases: autotomized arms; comets; counter-comets; post counter-comet I, II and III; and disc-parents.

You must have a really good tank to be able to keep a Linckia alive & even reproduce. Congratulations!

JokerGirl · 08/09/2007, 01:41 PM

Just shot this picture yesterday morning.....

It's still growing!

killagoby · 08/09/2007, 01:54 PM

Neat!

Nano Chris · 08/09/2007, 02:24 PM

Very cool, you must be doing something right!

pammee37 · 05/23/2008, 01:25 PM

hey cool!....i came into this forum looking to see if anyone had this happen to them too actually!...my burgundy dropped a leg a few months ago, the leg lived and to my amazement grew another star also, looks just like this one!....and the place where the parent star dropped the leg from grew a leg back there, and also grew another right beside it, for a 5 legged star to have a total of 6 legs now, lol!....
and, check this out, i did not know a crab could regenerate anything, but i have this sweet little porcelain crab (anemone crab) who showed up one morning minus 2 legs and a predominant claw missing...well, i thought he was a gonner, but i saw where he could eat ok, so i just gave him time and upon real close inspection today i see the missing legs as well as another fighting claw being generated!!!...woo-hoo little guy!
i also saw where there was one of my Cerith snails laying eggs on the glass, but now they're gone...but here i am wondering about my water quality still because i havent seen my large feather duster for days, but i still have tons of tiny dusters on my liverock that are open every day...hhmmm, i filter a lot, skim of course, surface skim too, use phosban reactor, live sand, live rock, all water parameters show under minimum acceptable levels, soooo...any info on finicky feather dusters?

05/16/2007, 06:57 AM	#1
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Starfish Reproduction? Are Linckia stars capable of reproducing Asexually? The reason I ask is because my Burgundy Linckia dropped a leg when I transferred my 90 into the 120. My boyfriend had seen it up by the overflow, so I figured the leg may have gotten caught or that it had dropped a leg from the stress of switching the tank out. I knew it wasn't because it was starving because it was missing two legs when I got it several months ago and they have just about completely grown back. In my nightly tank view last night, the leg it dropped was definitely attached to the glass and was still alive. It appeared to be forming a core as well. It was late so I couldn't get a photo. It appears that I'm going to have two burgundy stars now??!!

05/17/2007, 01:45 PM	#3
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Thanks Fred <3 __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

05/17/2007, 06:28 PM	#4
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Seriously... no one knows??? __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

05/17/2007, 06:33 PM	#5
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	Well I know someone who had the leg move around the tank for a couple weeks before it finally died. He named it Lurch. I thought they had to have part of the oral disc to regrow. __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

05/17/2007, 08:17 PM	#6
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Yeah see I have no clue, thats why I figured I'd ask. Was hoping Leslie or someone would chime in. The funny part is, though, that the wound where the leg fell off has actually healed over. __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

05/17/2007, 01:42 PM	#2
frederickk Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 2,712	bump

07/05/2007, 02:28 PM	#7
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Well, it's been over a month and the leg of my starfish is still alive. Just saw it again last night for the first time in a few weeks. I am happy to say, I will actually have a 2nd starfish. Here's a photo of it. In the picture you can see the original leg, and the little nubs that are starting to grow in. I'm amazed that it's still alive!

07/05/2007, 02:32 PM	#8
aznlmpulse Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: New York Posts: 279	That's awesome! It looks like a leach or some sort of parasite

07/05/2007, 02:40 PM	#9
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Yeah it's a creepy looking thing. Going to let it keep growing a bit longer so that it's established then give it to my friend. __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

07/05/2007, 03:17 PM	#10
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	That is amazing for sure. You must be doing something right. __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

07/05/2007, 03:25 PM	#11
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	I'm rather proud of myself __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

07/05/2007, 04:24 PM	#12
MTB Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Illannoy Posts: 1,365	I beleive they are capable of regenerating from leg. It's no fact that I know of but beleive it is feasible. I agree you must be doing something right! __________________ Got Frags? Current Tank Info: 40 breeder. Kessil lights. Reef octopus skimmer. Vortec mp40 x2.

07/05/2007, 08:31 PM	#13
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	I know that Linckia and Asterina are really the only two that are commonly kept that are found to asexually reproduce. I think it is much rarer to have the Linckias do this, though. It's really neat, I never in my wildest dreams thought this would happen. __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

07/05/2007, 08:46 PM	#14
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	It's common in the wild. The single leg with the tiny nubs is called a comets. R. Rideout who studied Linckia multiflora off Guam said the comets were the most common form he found. He divided the Linckia into 7 different growth phases: autotomized arms; comets; counter-comets; post counter-comet I, II and III; and disc-parents. You must have a really good tank to be able to keep a Linckia alive & even reproduce. Congratulations! __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

08/09/2007, 01:41 PM	#15
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Just shot this picture yesterday morning..... It's still growing!

08/09/2007, 01:54 PM	#16
killagoby Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Monroe, NJ Posts: 2,150	Neat! __________________ How much money did you spend on that rock again?

08/09/2007, 02:24 PM	#17
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	Very cool, you must be doing something right! __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

05/23/2008, 01:25 PM	#18
pammee37 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1	hey cool!....i came into this forum looking to see if anyone had this happen to them too actually!...my burgundy dropped a leg a few months ago, the leg lived and to my amazement grew another star also, looks just like this one!....and the place where the parent star dropped the leg from grew a leg back there, and also grew another right beside it, for a 5 legged star to have a total of 6 legs now, lol!.... and, check this out, i did not know a crab could regenerate anything, but i have this sweet little porcelain crab (anemone crab) who showed up one morning minus 2 legs and a predominant claw missing...well, i thought he was a gonner, but i saw where he could eat ok, so i just gave him time and upon real close inspection today i see the missing legs as well as another fighting claw being generated!!!...woo-hoo little guy! i also saw where there was one of my Cerith snails laying eggs on the glass, but now they're gone...but here i am wondering about my water quality still because i havent seen my large feather duster for days, but i still have tons of tiny dusters on my liverock that are open every day...hhmmm, i filter a lot, skim of course, surface skim too, use phosban reactor, live sand, live rock, all water parameters show under minimum acceptable levels, soooo...any info on finicky feather dusters?