[Coral-List] Can Blue Sea Stars Eat Giant Clams?

[Gordon Hendler]

Regarding Lucy's question about Blue Sea Stars:
Even fairly small "giant clams" are not likely the prey of Blue Sea
Stars. Linckia laevigata has been reported to feed on coralline alga,
rarely on corals, and (possibly) on coral mucus. However, reliable
observations indicate that it actually subsists on microscopic organisms
and detritus associated with the biofilms coating hard substrates. One
relevant study is readily available on the Web at
http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/handle/10125/1178/v31n1-1
3-30.pdf?sequence=1.

***********************************
Gordon Hendler, Ph.D.
Curator of Echinoderms
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
U.S.A.
hendler at nhm.org

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 13:30:56 -0700
From: Lucy Marcus <lucymarcus at gmail.com>
Subject: [Coral-List] Can Blue Sea Stars Eat Giant Clams?
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID: <BANLkTimYdky6YuswSzb4s21gUij5-3kJCw at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Dear Esteemed Coral Listers,

I am editing and educational science documentary about an MPA in
Zanzibar
and need to make sure I am including the correct information from my
interview. Do any echinoderm or molluscan specialists know if the blue
sea
star Linckia leavigata can eat small giant clams (Tridacna mazima or T.
squamosa)?

Thanks for your help, Lucy Marcus

<>< <>< <>< <><  <><  <><    <><       <><
Lucy Marcus MS
lucymarcus at gmail.com
http://www.worldenvironmentalfilms.com