Fromia indica Breeding Guide: Indian Sea Star Spawning
The Indian sea star is a broadcast-spawning Fromia; its planktonic larval cycle is not reproduced in home aquaria.
Overview
Fromia indica is a red sea star of the genus Fromia, family Goniasteridae, from Indo-Pacific reefs including the Indian Ocean. Fromia are small tropical five-armed stars; the genus contains several visually similar species that can be difficult to separate.
Reproductive Mode
Fromia indica reproduces as a gonochoric broadcast spawner, in line with the class Asteroidea. Direct species-level spawning observations are scarce, so reproduction is described from the general starfish pattern that applies across the family.
Sexual Reproduction
During free spawning, eggs and sperm are released into the water column and the embryos and larvae join the plankton. They progress through bilaterally symmetrical bipinnaria and brachiolaria stages, then settle and metamorphose into pentaradial juveniles roughly 1 mm across.
Common Challenges
The planktonic larvae require dispersal and microfood that home aquaria cannot supply, so the reproductive cycle is not completed in captivity. No asexual reproduction is documented for the species. As with other Fromia, it needs slow acclimation and an established tank to survive.