The Blue Star starfish (Linckia laevigata) is also called the Blue Linckia. It is a marine (saltwater) invertebrate, because it has no backbone.
The starfish (also called a sea star) is an echinoderm (meaning prickly skin) in the Asteroidea class (meaning star-shaped).
It has five elongated tube limbs (feet or arms) that are dark or light blue with tips at each of the limb.
Its mouth is in the centre of the arms on the lower surface. It is a detritivore, which means that it eats detritus found on sponges and algae. Detritus is the decomposing or dead parts of an animal.
It can regenerate its limbs if they become damaged or broken. It can also lose a limb on purpose to confuse a predator. The limb will grow back. This is called autotomy.
Its predators include pufferfish, triton shells, shrimp, and sea anemones.
It grows up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) long.
It can breed both sexually and asexually.
It is found in the shallow waters of tropical Indo-Pacific, between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It lives in coral reefs and beds of sea grass.
Blue Star starfish
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM