Blue Linkia Starfish (Linckia laevigata)
Blue Linkia Starfish (Linckia laevigata)
That saturated blue coloring makes Linckia laevigata one of the most photographed sea stars in the hobby, but it’s also one of the hardest to keep alive long term — this species is a specialist biofilm grazer with a genuinely poor track record in captivity unless the tank is large, mature, and loaded with the microfauna it needs to survive. On the upside, it can regenerate an entire new body from a single arm with a fragment of the central disc still attached, a process that produces a temporary, lopsided form aquarists call a "comet."
Care level: Difficult · Temperament: Peaceful · Max size: ~12" arm span · Min tank: 100+ gal, mature · Reef safe: Yes · Diet: Detritivore, grazes biofilm
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Linckia laevigata
- Common name
- Blue Linkia Starfish
- Water type
- Saltwater
- Care level
- Difficult
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Max size
- ~12" arm span
- Minimum tank
- 100 gal
- Diet
- Detritivore, grazes biofilm
- Reef safe
- Yes
When it ships
Most non-quarantined stock goes out the week you order. If we do not already have the animal in-house we source it first — allow up to two weeks for it to reach us. Live animals leave Monday and Tuesday, and Early AM Overnight is the only service that carries a live arrival guarantee.
The live guarantee
Shipped Early AM Overnight: a 1-hour DOA window from confirmed delivery, and nothing beyond it. Next Day Air and 2-Day carry no live arrival guarantee, and neither does USPS Priority. Local pickup or local delivery: 24 hours, if you bring a water sample from your aquarium and we test it before the animal goes home. Maintenance clients: 60 days when we service the aquarium at least twice a month, 28 days on a monthly plan.
Expert guidance
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Cameron draws on 25+ years in the hobby and a marine biology background to help you choose the right fit for your system.