Linckia multifora

Acclimation: it tolerates changes in pH, salinity and temperature better than other Linckia but still needs a careful, slow drip acclimation. As with all sea stars, never take it out of the water.

Setup: a mature tank, where the bacterial surface films and sponges that make up most of its aquarium diet can develop. It is visible and active all day and roams a lot.

Tankmates: according to Wikipedia (de), it keeps much better than most sea stars and does not harm other invertebrates. Avoid sea star predators such as the harlequin shrimp.

Sensitivities: no copper-based medication. Despite its hardiness, most specimens survive only a few months, probably of hunger, if they do not find enough food and refuse substitute foods. Quality Marine rates the 'Multicolor Linckia' it sells as Linckia sp. as difficult.

Water: no species-specific source gives values. For its Linckia, Quality Marine recommends a specific gravity of 1.023 to 1.025, 22 to 25.5 °C, pH 8.1 to 8.4 and 8 to 12 dKH.

In the wild it is an omnivore: algae, microbial films, detritus, organic debris, carrion and small invertebrates.

In the aquarium it lives mainly on the bacterial films and sponges of an established tank. One hobbyist reports on Reeflex that it takes fish-based flakes pressed against the glass near it and becomes more active once fed; no source gives a feeding frequency.