StarFish issue

[lefkonj]

My blue starfish today has a crack in one of its legs and is oozing some white stringy substance. Not in the best place for me to take a picture, but it does move from one place to another, just seems really strange.

Should i just wait and leave it be? Will its death like this harm my tank overall?

Thanks

 

[MadReefer]

I wouldn't be to concerned yet. My tang knocked a rock on top of my blue linkia a few days ago and it had a slit with white tissue exposed. Today it seems to be just fine; no lost limbs.

 

[SHLUZER]

I've heard that linkia can regrow from leg, kinda like fragging. Have anyone seen this ?

 

[thirty5]

I've heard that linkia can regrow from leg, kinda like fragging. Have anyone seen this ?

I read somewhere that it can grow a NEW leg, but not a whole animal from a leg.

 

[falconut]

Just keep an eye on it. I believe they can regrow from legs and such, but very rare if at all in our tanks. More likely to happen in the ocean.

 

[NikkiT]

I have had brittle stars regenerate in a tank. If the star has a crack in its leg, it is possible (but by no means certain) that the parameters in your tank could be more stable, and the animal will need the most stable conditions possible to regenerate.

 

[SamK]

In studies as early as 1935, starfish in the pacific have regenerated an entire organism from a leg or even a part of a leg. They have been able to do this even if there is no part of the central disk attached to the leg. Generally, they can regenerate legs that have been broken off or after an attack have been severed.

 

[Hawkeye]

In studies as early as 1935, starfish in the pacific have regenerated an entire organism from a leg or even a part of a leg. They have been able to do this even if there is no part of the central disk attached to the leg. Generally, they can regenerate legs that have been broken off or after an attack have been severed.

per rob toonen, blue linkias are fragile, and just based on pure speculative observation on posts here and RC etc - a lot of people do not have them live long in tanks. Here's a long article about the difficulty of identifying the exact species and obtaining solid scientific info on these starfish:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/5/inverts

Blue linkias that evidence any type of white tissue degradation should be kept an eye on...in case the whole organism goes. Then you're talking one big nitrate fest.