About Linckia multifora (Lamarck, 1816)
Linckia multifora is a species of starfish with a small central disk and five long, slender cylindrical arms that taper slightly toward their tips. Its color is variable, and can be brown, pink, red, or gray, often marked with small red spots. Its surface has a rough, granular texture. This starfish reaches an overall diameter of 2 to 5 inches, which is 5 to 13 cm. This species is circumtropical in distribution. It occurs in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, and across the western Pacific Ocean ranging north to Japan, south to Lord Howe Island, east to the Pitcairn Islands, and northeast to Hawaii. Current records suggest that distribution maps from the World Register of Marine Species that limit its range to the western Indian Ocean, and an observation of this species in the Caribbean listed on the Encyclopedia of Life, are both incorrect. It lives on the seafloor at depths down to approximately 700 feet (213 meters), and prefers coral reef habitats. Linckia multifora is kept in aquaria. It is an omnivore, and in aquaria it most often feeds on bacterial surface films and sponges that are naturally present in established tanks. Compared to other species in the genus Linckia, this starfish is more tolerant of changes in pH, salinity, and temperature, but it still requires careful acclimatization when first introduced to an aquarium.
