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Linckia laevigata is a tropical sea star species that is commonly found in the Indo-Pacific region. It belongs to the phylum Echinodermata, class Asteroidea (sea stars), and the order Valvatida. L. laevigata is one of the seven extant species of the genus Linckia and in fact, it might be the most abundant species in the genus (Williams 2000).
On the Great Barrier Reef, L. laevigata is well known for its royal/bright blue color and thus are commonly called the blue sea star/ blue starfish. Nevertheless, in regions outside of the Great Barrier Reef, L. laevigata could indeed occur in other colors such as apricot, pink, gray and purple etc. (Williams and Benzie 1998).
This species is usually found in shallow waters and populations found in the wild consist of almost entirely adult individuals (Clark & McKnight 2001; Coleman 2007; Yamaguchi 1977). It mainly feeds on coralline algae and detritus (Coleman 2007; Laxton 1974). Adults are pentamerous radial symmetrical and possess short, yellow tube feet that are used for locomotion.
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