The flame angelfish (Centropyge loricula) is a marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae found in tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean.[3] Other common names include flame angel, flaming angelfish and Japanese pygmy angelfish.
Description
The flame angelfish's coloration is bright orange-red with a vertical elongated black spot and four or five bars on the sides, the posterior part of the dorsal, and anal fins, with alternating short purple-blue and black bands. Specimens from the Marquesas lack the vertical black bars.Males are generally larger and slightly more colored than females.
The life span of the flame angelfish is 5–7 years or more.
Range
It if found in various reefs of Oceania, most common in Marshall, Line and Cook Islands. The fish is also, although less commonly, found in the Hawaiian Islands. Particularly, the flame angelfish can be found on the foreslope of coral reefs and clear lagoons.
Diet
In the wild, the flame angelfish has a varied diet consisting of algae and crustaceans. There are occasional specimens that live very long lives in reef aquaria, but the majority of these fish will often die for no apparent reason when they are older. This may be easily explained as many of the Centropyge family are predominantly plankton eaters as juveniles and will switch to consuming its natural adult diet once fully grown. Sometimes, all it takes is for an underfed individual to "test" a food source. This being the case, angelfish are usually added to a well established tank and fed frozen mysis shrimp or meaty crustaceans such as shrimp and clam.
In aquarium
In captivity, this species feeds on a variety of food including brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other meat as well as spirulina, seaweed sheets, and pellets, also from personal experience[opinion] they favor tuna and table shrimp.
The flame angelfish is known to be shy upon introduction to an established aquarium, especially smaller specimens; but, within a week, it will gain confidence and is then constantly seen grazing around live rock during the day.
The flame angelfish is often considered reef safe. They will adapt to a captive diet quickly which will usually prevent them from consuming soft or stony corals. Individual specimens that do pick at coral or clam mantles are more often than not under fed or under nourished.
Breeding
The flame angelfish has been known to spawn in captivity, with successfully captive bred specimens offered by Atoll Farm Aquaculture in Thailand. The flame angelfish is haremic in the wild and can be kept in pairs or trios in an extra-large aquarium. The aquarium should contain only one male—the males have more blue on the outer edge of the dorsal and anal fins, and tend to be larger. The fish will spawn toward the end of the day and release pelagic gametes into the water column. Collecting the eggs and raising the larvae is the biggest challenge. The flame angelfish are broadcast spawners, releasing eggs and sperm simultaneously at dusk. They rise into the water column and release their eggs and sperm at the top.
The copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), also known as the beaked coral fish, is found in reefs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This butterflyfish is one of the three species that make up the genus Chelmon and all have long beaks.
Description
These fish are easily identified by the yellow banding and long snout. The young fish are similar in appearance to adult fish. Butterflyfish grow up to 20 cm in length.The fish appears taller than its length because of its compressed, deep-bodied form with a long dorsal and posterior fins as well as its vertical yellow stripes on a white background. The snout is long and slender, and the dark eye of the fish is less conspicuous than the dark eye-spot on the dorsal fin. The base of the tail features a dark band that runs perpendicular to the tail. Butterflyfish may be distinguished from the similar C. marginalis by their color pattern and number of dorsal fin rays.
Habitat
Copperband butterflyfish are found at depths of 1−25 metres either alone or in pairs. These fish form monogamous pairs during breeding. They are usually found on coral reefs or rocky shorelines, and also in estuaries and silty inner reefs. This species is territorial and oviparous.
In the aquarium
Copperband butterflyfish can grow to 8 inches (20 cm) but in a home aquarium are usually half that size.[citation needed] They do well at a normal reef temperature range of 75 to 84 °F (24 to 29 °C), with a tank size of at least 75 gallons and plenty of live rock to graze on. This species can be considered reef safe. It will eat many invertebrates, including parasitic forms such as tubeworms, Calliactis parasitica and common glass anemone (Aiptasia, parasitic anemone). Many aquarists introduce the Copperband Butterfly just to get rid of these pests without giving consideration to their long term needs for survival. Given a choice, Aiptasia is the least favored food. The butterflyfish preys on all tube and substrate worms, clams, and mollusks. This is not a recommended fish for inexperienced aquarists, as it requires excellent tank conditions to thrive or even survive.
The bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) is one of several species of cleaner wrasses found on coral reefs from Eastern Africa and the Red Sea to French Polynesia. Like other cleaner wrasses, it eats parasites and dead tissue off larger fishes' skin in a mutualistic relationship that provides food and protection for the wrasse, and considerable health benefits for the other fishes. It is also notable for having potentially passed the mirror test, though this is not without controversy.
Taxonomy
A genetic analysis of L. dimidiatus revealed the population fell into two monophyletic clades, with Indian Ocean populations generally having different stripe widths to western Pacific fishes. The Japanese cleaner wrasses, though, fell within the same group as Indian Ocean fish, despite differing in appearance, and both clades overlap around Papua New Guinea.Two closely related cleaner wrasse species, Labroides pectoralis and Labroides bicolor, were grouped inside the L. dimidiatus clade, so the bluestreak cleaner wrasse may in fact be polyphyletic, incorporating several species.
Description
This is a small wrasse, averaging 10 cm (3.9 in) long, at most 14 cm (5.5 in). It can be recognized thanks to a wide longitudinal black stripe running along the side and eye; the back and the stomach are white (sometimes slightly yellowish). This white part changes to a bright blue on the front of the animal, while the black band widens at the tail. The young are black with an electric blue line.
Distribution
The bluestreak cleaner wrasse is found on coral reefs in the tropics from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to the western Pacific (including Papua New Guinea, Japan, Fiji, and French Polynesia).[5] It was first recorded from the Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve north of New Zealand in 2015, after researchers examined hundreds of hours of unused documentary film footage.
Cleaning
Cleaner wrasses are usually found at cleaning stations. Cleaning stations are occupied by different units of cleaner wrasses, such as a group of youths, a pair of adults, or a group of females accompanied by a dominant male. When visitors come near the cleaning stations, the cleaner wrasses greet the visitors by performing a dance-like motion in which they move their rear up and down.The visitors are referred to as "clients". Bluestreak cleaner wrasses clean to consume ectoparasites on client fish for food. The bigger fish recognise them as cleaner fish because they have a lateral stripe along the length of their bodies, and by their movement patterns. Cleaner wrasses greet visitors in an effort to secure the food source and cleaning opportunity with the client. Upon recognising the cleaner and successfully soliciting its attention, the client fish adopts a species-specific pose to allow the cleaner access to its body surface, gills and sometimes mouth.[citation needed] Other fish that engage in such cleaning behavior include goby fish (Elacatinus spp.) The bluestreak cleaner wrasse is known to clean balaenopteridae, chondrichthyans, homaridae, octopodidae, and dermochelyidae
In different regions, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse displays various degrees of dependency on clients' ectoparasites as a primary food source. In tidal environments such as the Great Barrier Reef, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse is a facultative cleaner that feeds more on corals than on fish clientele.Juvenile bluestreak cleaners are seen to bite their clients more often than the adults within that region, thus changing the dynamic of the known mutualistic relationship.However, in regions where the bluestreak cleaners are solely dependent on clients' parasites, fish who have access to cleaning services have better body condition than those without cleaner access. In the Marsa Bareika of the Ras Mohamed Nature Reserve, Egypt, the bluestreak cleaner wrasse live in specific sectors of the shallow reefs and are shown to rely on ectoparasites from species such as the brown surgeonfish and white belly damselfish. In this region, fish that visit cleaner wrasses have lower antibody responses than those without cleaner access, suggesting that cleaner access may decrease the need for active immunity.
Reproduction
Cleaner wrasse males defend specific living territories from other males in which they are able to have control over the females in those territories. When the dominant male no longer exists in that territory, one of the larger females is able to change sexes to take control over that territory.
The Doubleband Surgeonfish or Lieutenant Tang (Acanthurus tennenti), is a marine ray-finned fish in the family Acanthuridae. It is found in tropical and sub-tropical Indo-Pacific regions and can grow to be up to 50 cm (19.7") long.
Physical Description
The Doubleband Surgeonfish is a deep-bodied, laterally-compressed oval fish, with a body length over half its depth. It grows to an average length typically ranging between 25 cm (10 in) and 31 cm (12 in). Both male and female Doublebands are similar in appearance until they reach their breeding season, when the mature male takes on more vibrant hues or darker streaks to attract a mate. Coloration amongst the species can vary, ranging from orange-beige, olive-tan or steely grey, but can turn a dark-brown shade with hints of red or purple when stressed. A dark line runs along the base of the dorsal fin with a similar line at the base of the anal fin. There are two dark streaks behind the eye, with blackish scalpel-like scales that project from the caudal peduncle surrounded by a large black spot with a bluish border. Both dorsal and anal fins are long, extending out to the caudal peduncle. The caudal fin is crescent-shaped and continues to grow longer as the fish ages. It is rimmed by a band of bluish-white.
This species has a wide range of distribution across the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific region, extending from East Africa and Madagascar to southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. They mostly reside on rocks and coral reefs, on the reef slopes, and in the channels between reefs. They can be commonly found at depths between 1-40m (3-131ft) and prefer waters with temperatures between 25-29°C.
Reproduction
Doublebands reproduce via external fertilization. Females will approach the reef surface and begin releasing their eggs, while the males follow their trail and release sperm as a response. Once the two gametes join and the egg is fertilized, the resulting larvae will float around for a certain period in the water column until they grow out of their planktonic stage. After approximately seven weeks, the larvae return to their reef habitat to settle in. The breeding season typically spans from July to August, with physical changes in preparation for this season beginning to occur cyclically around April.
Ecology
The Doubleband Surgeonfish feeds on algae growing on the seabed and detritus, as well as the algal film that grows on sand and other substrates. The juveniles tend to join other fish species to form mixed species groups. At first they may be black, or yellow with a black horseshoe-shaped eye ring, but later they resemble the adult fish, apart from the black markings behind the eye. This fish feeds in the open during the day, often in small groups with parrotfish and other species.
Status
This is a common fish in much of its range. It is sometimes caught for human consumption and commonly used in the aquarium trade. It is susceptible to the destruction of the reef habitats in which it lives, but is found in several marine protected areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Acanthurus leucosternon, commonly known as the blue surgeonfish, powder blue tang or powder-blue surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indian Ocean.
Taxonomy
Acanthurus leucosternon was first formally described in 1833 by the English naturalist Edward Turner Bennett with its type locality given as Sri Lanka. The genus Acanthurus is one of two genera in the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae.
Etymology
Acanthurus leucosternon has the specific name leucosternon. This combines the Greek words leukos, meaning "white", and sternon, meaning "breast"; this refers to the white chest shown by this species.
Description
The fish can reach an average size of 23 cm (9 in) in length. The body has an oval shape and is compressed laterally. Like other surgeonfishes, Acanthurus leucosternon swims with its pectoral fins. The caudal fin has a crescent shape. The fish has a "surgeon's scalpel," an erected part of the spine located at the base of the tail. The mouth is small and pointed in a beak-like manner with tiny and sharp teeth for reaching narrow spaces of food. Its sides are blue; its dorsal fin and the base of caudal fin are yellow; the head is black; the mouth, the throat area, the anal and pelvic fins are white. The pectoral fins are transparent with yellow reflections. The intensity of its blue color shows off if the fish is healthy or not.[citation needed] The fish does not undergo color changes as it matures; as some tangs, surgeonfish and unicornfish do.
Distribution and habitat
Acanthurus leucosternon is found in tropical waters from the Indian Ocean. The species inhabits shallow and clear coastal waters always associated with a reef. It prefers flat top reefs and areas along seaward slopes.
Behaviour
The powder blue tang, like most fish in the family Acanthuridae, is herbivorous, eating mostly benthic algae.Acanthurus leucosternon has a diurnal activity. It is solitary, territorial and aggressive with other surgeonfish. In cases where food is plentiful, it may feed in shoals, but in cases of scarcity, it may compete individually for food. It may use its surgeon's scalpel as a defensive weapon.
Halichoeres chrysus, commonly called the canary wrasse, golden wrasse or yellow wrasse, is a fish species in the wrasse family native to central Indo-Pacific area.
Description
The canary wrasse is a small fish that can reach a maximum length of 12 cm. It has a thin, elongate body with a terminal mouth. Body coloration is bright yellow with a few variations according to age. Juvenile and immature female have two black spots rimmed with white or light yellow on the dorsal fin (the first one at the start of the fin (head side) and the second in the middle of its dorsal fin) and a third one between the caudal peduncle and the start of the caudal fin. Mature females or young males only show the two black spots on the dorsal fin. Mature males display only the first black spot on the front of the dorsal fin, a lighter-colored spot just behind the eye and irregular greenish to pinkish lines on the face.
Distribution and habitat
The canary wrasse is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the central Indo-Pacific, in an area bordered by the Christmas Islands and Indonesia, Japan, New South Wales and the Rowley Shoals, and the Tonga Islands and Solomon Islands.
This wrasse occurs on outside reef slopes, in rubble and sandy areas from surface down to a depth of 30 meters.
Biology
The canary wrasse lives in small groups. It is a benthic predator that feeds mainly on small marine invertebrates such as crustaceans, molluscs, worms and echinoderms captured on or in the substrate.
Like most wrasse, the canary wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite, i.e. individuals start life as females with the capability of turning male later on.
The tail-spot wrasse, Halichoeres melanurus, is a species of wrasse in the western Pacific from Japan
to Samoa and Tonga and south to the Great Barrier Reef. This species is found along rocky shores or on coral reefs at depths from 1 to 15 m (3.3 to 49.2 ft). It can reach 12 cm (4.7 in) in total length. This species is popular for display in public aquaria and can be found in the aquarium trade.
The male of the species is more vibrant in colour generally, and when placed in the vicinity of one or more females may "flash" his colours with dramatically increased intensity. The female can be easily differentiated from the male by the presence of ocelli markings (eye spots) on the dorsal and caudal fins.
Naso vlamingii, the bignose unicornfish, scibbled unicornfish, Vlaming's unicornfish, and zebra unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific.
Taxonomy
Naso vlamingii was first formally described as Naseus vlamingii in 1835 by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes with its type locality given as Molucca Island in Indonesia.[3] This species is classified within the nominate subgenus of the genus Naso.[4] The genus Naso is the only genus in the subfamily Nasinae in the family Acanthuridae.
Etymology
Naso vlamingii has the specific name which honours the Dutch explorer Admiral Cornelis de Vlamingh who collected specimens and drew illustrations of fishes for the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and Valenciennes based his description on one of Vlamingh's illustrations.[4]
Description
Naso vlamingii has 6 spines and 26 or 27 soft rays all of similar height supporting the tall dorsal fin and 2 spines and between 27 and 29 soft rays supporting the anal fin. It has a relatively deep body with standard lengths ranging from 2.2, in subadults, to 2.6, in adults, times the body's depth. There is an obvious bulbous protuberance growing from the head above the snout. There are two bony plates on each side of the caudal peduncle and these have keels with anterior pointing spines. The adults develop long filaments from the tips of the caudal fin lobes. The overall colour of the adults is greyish-brown or reddish brown, and they have the ability to change colour quickly, with small dark blue spots on the head and upper flanks. These spots join up to form stripes on the lower flanks. There is a wide blue band running from the eye to the front of the bulbous protuberance. The lips are blue and there is an irregular blue blotch to the rear of the base of the pectoral fin. The caudal fin is blue at its base, grey in the middle with an ill-defined yellow marginand blue outer edges of the lobes and this extends onto the filaments. The intensity of the colour of the blue markings can be increased to a brilliant blue when the fish is displaying in courtship or to communicate with cleaner fish at cleaning stations.This species has a maximum published length of 60 cm (24 in).
Distribution and habitat
Naso vlamingii has a wide Indo-Pacific range which extends from the eastern coast of Africa between Kenya and South Africa, through the Indian Ocean islands, but it is absent the continental southern Asian waters, through the Andaman Sea, Indonesia and into the Pacific. In the Pacific it extends north to southern Japan, east to the Galápagos Islands and south to New Caledonia and Australia.[1] In Australia the species is found at a number of offshore islands and reefs, as well as from the northern Great Barrier Reef south to waters off Sydney in New South Wales and in the waters around Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. The bignose unicornfish is found in deep lagoons and seaward reefs, frequently aggregating in schools that feed on zooplankton around the higher areas of deep slopes and drop-offs.
Biology
Naso vlamingii can live up to 40 years in captivity.[8] Their eggs are fertilized externally after being released in batches by the female. Spawning typically occurs in aggregations, where many individuals come together to release their eggs and sperm simultaneously. They change their feeding pattern throughout their lives. Juveniles are herbivores; feeding mainly with algae, semi-adults are omnivores and adults are primarily carnivores; hunting for zooplankton.
Zebrasoma xanthurum, the purple tang or yellowtail tang, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is endemic to the north western Indian Ocean.
Taxonomy
Zebrasoma xanthurum was first formally described as Acanthurus xanthurus in 1852 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth with its type locality given as Sri Lanka. However, this species has not reliably been recorded in Sri Lanka since Blyth's description and the type locality may be erroneous. The yellowtail tang is part of a species pair within the genus Zebrasoma, along with the longnose tang (Z. rostratum). The genera Zebrasoma and Paracanthurus make up the tribe Zebrasomini within the subfamily Acanthurinae in the family Acanthuridae, according to the 5th edition of Fishes of the World.
Etymology
Zebrasoma xanthurum has the specific name xanthurum, meaning “yellow tail”, a reference to the yellow caudal fin of this species.
Description
Zebrasoma xanthurum has its dorsal fin supported by 5 spines and 24 or 25 soft rays while the anal fin is supported by 3 spines and 19 or 20 soft rays.This species has a deep laterally compressed body, a protruding snout and high dorsal and anal fins.The depth of the body fits 1.7 to 1.9 times into its standard length while the longest dorsal fin ray fits 3.3 to 3.7 times into the standard length. The snout has a concave profile on both the upper and lower sides. There is a velvet-like patch of bristles on the caudal peduncle anterior to the spine. The juveniles have a rounded caudal fin but in adults it may be slightly rounded or truncate. The head and body of adults are dark blue to purple, contrasting with the bright yellow caudal fin. The head and anterior part of the body are marked with black spots and these extend onto the adjacent fins. There are irregular black horizontal lines on the rest of the body and fins apart from the caudal fin and the pectoral fins have the outer third coloured yellow. Juveniles and subadults have dark brown longitudinal lines on their bodies. The yellowtail tang has a maximum published total length of 36.7 cm (14.4 in), although a total length of 10 cm (3.9 in) is more typical.
Distribution and habitat
Zebrasoma xanthurum is endemic to the north western Indian Ocean where it is found in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and around the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula into the Persian Gulf. It is also found around Socotra. A record from Sardinia in 2015 is thought to be an aquarium release. A record from the Maldives is thought to be a misidentification and the type locality of Sri Lanka is thought to be an error. These fishes are found in groups at depths down to 20 m (66 ft) over coral rich or rocky areas.
Biology
Zebrasoma xanthurum is a herbivorous grazer of filamentous algae. They follow a daily pattern of feeding in single individuals or pairs during the day and at sunset the stop feeding and move into their shelter for the night among corals or in crevices. The juveniles are cryptic and hide among coral.
Conservation status
Zebrasoma xanthurum is a minor item in the aquarium trade. The IUCN assess its conservation status on a global level as Least Concern, but in the Persian Gulf it has a small area of suitable habitat that is subject to destruction by coastal development and is assessed as Vulnerable.
Naso lituratus, the clown unicornfish, orangespined unicornfish, black-finned unicornfish, Pacific orangespined unicornfish, blackfinned unicornfish or stripefaced unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.
Unique to members of Acanthuridae, including Naso lituratus, are the Epulopiscium bacteria. These bacteria influence the digestion of Naso lituratus, helping them process the algae in their diet.[3][4][5]
Naso lituratus can be found in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This species can be easily recognised by two bright orange forward-hooked spines on the caudal peduncle (the tail base), its orange lips and black face mask. The body is brownish grey with yellow nape and there is a broad black band on the dorsal fin. It reaches about 45 cm (18 in) in length.
It can be found on coral reefs, often in pairs.
Taxonomy
Naso lituratus was first formally described in 1801 as Acanthurus lituratus by the German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster without stating a type locality, although this is considered to be Tahiti in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.[7] This species is classified within the nominate subgenus of the genus Naso.[8] The genus Naso is the only genus in the subfamily Nasinae in the family Acanthuridae.
Description and biology
The features of Naso lituratus include orange lips, a caudal peduncle with a brash-hooked spine, and a black face mask. The descriptions of these features include one dorsal fin on top of head and is encircled by a broad black band around 45 centimeters long. They barely grow in size. Long anal fin with II spines and 28–30 soft rays, and a continuous, unnotched dorsal fin with VI spines and 27–30 soft rays. Contains 8 to 9 gill rakers on the lower leg whereas the upper limb has 4. There are 6 spines in total, each with 26–29 soft rays. Adipose fins do not exist. There is one anal fin, two spines overall, and between 27 and 30 soft rays on it. The pectoral and pelvic fins are two of its paired fins. The pectoral fin contains 17–18 soft rays and 0 spines. The pelvic fin has a single spine and three soft rays. In adult males, the lobe's apex produces a lengthy filament. Caudal fin is lunate or crescent-shaped. Two sharp blades that point forward are on the caudal peduncle. In Juveniles, their blades are not fully grown, as they have a stifling gray-brown tint with black, yellow, and white patterns. No forehead "horns" or front protuberance that can be seen in certain other Acanthuridae species.
Distribution and habitat
Naso lituratus live in the East Indian and Pacific Ocean, with their habitat is living in the coral reefs that lay around in those specified oceans. The reproduction of this species are that the sexes are separate among the Acanthuridae and have distinct differences in size. Spawning occurs year round in Guam. They need high oxygen levels, strong water currents, same companions and need to feed on wild algae. Their self defense tactic is that they will extend their strong tail spines to strike any approaching predators.
Naso lituratus has various human use including as a food source and as a commodity in the pet and aquarium trade.
Centropyge bispinosa, commonly known as the Coral Beauty Angelfish or Dusky Angelfish, is a small, colorful angelfish with a distinctive appearance. They have a bright orange body with vertical blue or purple "tiger" stripes, and a blue-purple head, dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. Their pectoral and pelvic fins are typically yellow or orange.
Key Characteristics:
Color: Orange body with blue/purple stripes, blue/purple head and fins.
Size: Reaches up to 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) in length.
Behavior: Peaceful, but can be territorial with their own kind and other dwarf angelfishes.
Habitat: Found on outer reef slopes and in rocky areas with hiding spots.
Diet: Primarily eats algae and detritus.
Reproduction: Protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they can change sex.
Reef Compatibility: Considered reef-safe, but individuals may nip at certain corals, especially soft corals.
Distribution:
Found in the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and other tropical waters
Most commonly found is pure blue, dark blue, or light blue, although observers find the aqua, purple, or orange variation throughout the ocean. These sea stars may grow up to 30 cm (11.8 in) in diameter, with rounded tips at each of the arms; some individuals may bear lighter or darker spots along each of their arms. Individual specimens are typically firm in texture, possessing the slightly tubular, elongated arms common to most of other members of the family Ophidiasteridae, and usually possessing short, yellowish tube feet. An inhabitant of coral reefs and sea grass beds, this species is relatively common and is typically found in sparse density throughout its range. Blue stars live subtidally, or sometimes intertidally, on fine (sand) or hard substrata and move relatively slowly (mean locomotion rate of 8.1 cm/min).
The genus Linckia, as is true of other species of starfish, is recognized by scientists as being possessed of remarkable regenerative capabilities, and endowed with powers of defensive autotomy against predators.Although not yet documented, L. laevigata may be able to reproduce asexually. L. laevigata is apparently not an exception to this behavior, as many individuals observed in nature are missing arms or, on occasion, in the comet form.
This sea star is fairly popular with marine aquarium hobbyists, where it requires a proper, slow acclimatization before entering the tank system, and an adequate food source similar to that found in its natural habitat. Generally thought of as a detritivore, many sources maintain that this species will indefinitely graze throughout the aquarium for organic films or sedentary, low-growing organisms such as sponges and algae. In the marine aquarium hobby, they have been seen to consume Asterina Starfish, which are commonly introduced into such aquaria on the ubiquitous "live rock" used in such settings.
