Blue Starfish
Blue Starfish
Linckia laevigata
CommonOphidiasteridaeHarmless
ID points
- Entirely saturated cobalt blue, with no other markings
- Five cylindrical arms with blunt rounded tips
- Often lies motionless on the reef flat
Basics
- Family
- Ophidiasteridae
- Length
- 20–30 cm
- Depth
- 1-60 m
- Regions
- Indo-Pacific reefs
- Distribution
- Shallow tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific
- Habitat
- Shallow reef flats
- Diet
- Detritus and microbial film
Easily confused with
Tube-dwelling AnemoneLives in a long soft tube of its own making
Crown-of-Thorns StarfishA dozen to twenty arms, covered all over with long venomous spines
Cushion StarArms completely reduced, the whole animal like a five-cornered bunFun fact
Brilliantly coloured and beautiful, it has become a threatened species through mass collection for the souvenir trade. It dies quickly once lifted out of the water, so please do not touch it.
Open in the field guide - stacking filters and ID training >