Red/Green Yellow Nobed Star Fish
The Red Knobbed Starfish, Protoreaster linckii, is a striking marine invertebrate known for its vibrant red color and distinctive star-shaped body with prominent, red-tipped protrusions or "knobs". It has a gray body with red stripes connecting the knobs, giving it a grid-like appearance. These starfish are found in the Indian Ocean and can grow up to 12 inches in diameter.
Here's a more detailed description:
- Appearance: The Red Knobbed Starfish has five thick, elongated arms radiating from a central disk. These arms are covered in bright red, cone-shaped tubercles or knobs. Red stripes connect these knobs, creating a distinctive pattern.
- Size: It can grow up to 12 inches in diameter.
- Color: The starfish has a gray body with vibrant red knobs and stripes.
- Habitat: It inhabits shallow tidal pools and reefs in the Indian Ocean.
- Diet: Red Knobbed Starfish are omnivores. They eat algae when young but become carnivorous as they mature, consuming soft corals, sponges, tubeworms, clams, and other invertebrates.
- Reef Compatibility: They are not reef-safe, as they will eat corals and other invertebrates.
- Other Names: They are also known as the African Sea Star, Red Knob Star, and Red Stripe Starfish.