It's Alive!!!

[grimreefer]

I have a Linkia Star that pulled his leg/arm off about 3 weeks ago and the leg/arm is still alive and moving around my tank. It doesn't move very much in 24 hours, but it is moving. It is attached to the rock so I know it is not being moved from water current or anything else in my tank. It is defiantly moving on it's own, a couple inches a day. Is this how it regenerates or do I have a Alien in my tank?

 

[grimreefer]

The first pictures shows the day it detached its arm. s-t-r-e-t-c-h :wow2: . The second is the Alien. 21 days now and shows no signs of death.

 

[wbholwell]

That's pretty cool. So it detatched one arm on its own?

 

[grimreefer]

Yes, it did it intentionally, I watched it. Freaked me out.:confused2: Now the arm is just wondering around my tank. Maybe looking for the rest of it.:lol2:

 

[derek_s]

Big deal. I can do that too.

 

[fishfiend]

They do that if the arm got caught or damaged just like crabs and things do. As long as there is enough stomach material on it then yes, it should be fine and completely regenerate into a new starfish.

If there isn't then it will continue to behave like it is now, but will eventually starve. Linkias have really good success rates at regeneration though.

 

[grimreefer]

It was not caught, no crabs around as the picture shows. It just got too long and decided it didn't want it anymore. Someone on another site said that is how it regenerates, we'll see. I'll watch it until it's decides to die or become another Star.