6/8/2006 - Fiji Faithful #1 - Linckia laevigata, 1758
Blue Sea Star.
These are amongst the most photgraphed and better known of Fiji's marine creatures and, as
their common name suggests, are, er, blue sea stars. They graze on shallow reefs, spewing
out their stomach linings in order to access hard-to-reach food, before sucking them back in
to digest. So, contrary to what you might think, even though they appear motionless they are
not dead. They are in fact alive, well and feeding.
Keen-eyed Gogglers may also spot the less common Linckia guildingi, or Green Sea Star and
those that venture out at night may even spot the much larger Tamaria stria, or Red Sea
Star, both of which are almost identical to the Blue Sea Star in appearance although
slightly different in size and, er, colour. Also resident on Fiji's reefs are the smaller
Linckia multifora, which are pretty red and white speckled sea stars, with one blue splot on
the tip of each their legs.
If you pick any of these sea stars up and turn them over quickly enough you may just catch their hundreds of tiny, tubular, suction-cupped feet retracting into their legs and their stomach retracting into their central cavity. Although hard and fairly solid to the touch sea stars are capable of some spectacular contortion and you will often see a couple of legs sticking out from a small crevice or wrapping round an outcropping to maneouvre the stomach opening into place.
 
If you do pick one up then please put it back exactly where you found it. Many people think they look nice when used as wall decorations. I personally think they look much nicer in the sea and besides, you wouldn't pick a stray puppy from the side of the road and pin it to you wall, so how is a sea star any different? Also remember that if you place one in your suitcase and try to smuggle it away that it will make your entire bag stink within a very short time.
True story: What happens if you chop the leg off a starfish?
Answer 1: The starfish grows a new leg.
Answer 2: The leg grows a new starfish.
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