Starfish dropped an arm, how long before considered another starfish

bct15 · May 14, 2013

My blue linkia starfish dropped an arm (ive had the starfish for just over 3 years) and now the arm is crawling around my tank but staying in one area. The arm appears to be alive, how long before I can be positive it is turning into another starfish?

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bucksfan1976 · May 14, 2013

I would say just watch it, Could take a long time, but as long as you dont see it rotting away just go with the flow.

bct15 · May 14, 2013

It is not rotting, it has healed over the area it broke off with a white colored skin and the starfish has already formed a point where the arm used to be. The starfish actually dropped two arms now that I'm looking at it. When I came back from a funeral a couple weeks ago my yellow belly blue had a damaged anal fin and a chunk missing out of his stomach with bones showing. I assumed a rock shifted and damaged it and was glad I had cleaner shrimp to keep the wound clean. Now I wonder if the same incident damaged the starfish and that's why these arms fell off...they seem to be growin back pretty fast.

It is wierd watching this leg craw around the bottom of my tank...how do they do that? Is there a brain in there? It doesnt have mouth so how does it get nutrients, digest itself?!?!? I'll get a pic in a little bit when the lights turn on.

For those concerned the yellow belly blue is fully healed now.

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Rotdrache · May 14, 2013

Ha! I just had an "I told you so" moment. I can't wait to show my wife this thread when I get home. She didn't believe me that a full star would grow back just from one leg.

tidus10 · May 14, 2013

creepy... lets see a lonely leg crawl!.. i dont have any starfish... well anyfish in my tank yet.. but im along for the ride!

jservedio · May 14, 2013

Starfish have a "Distributed Brain" made up of a central nerve ring that coordinates the star's movement with each arm having a radial nerve coming off of that ring that acts as a "brain" for that arm. As long as a full radial nerve is available, an entirely new star can form. One of the perks of not having a centralized brain!

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