Protoreaster lincki Breeding Guide: Red Knob Sea Star
The red knob sea star is a large broadcast-spawning Protoreaster whose planktonic larval cycle is not reproduced in home aquaria.
Overview
Protoreaster lincki, the red knob or African sea star, is a large Oreasteridae sea star from East Africa and the Indian Ocean. It has a cream to grey body with prominent red conical projections. Like its congener Protoreaster nodosus, it is a predatory, non-reef-safe star best suited to fish-only systems.
Reproductive Mode
Protoreaster lincki is a gonochoric broadcast spawner, in line with the class Asteroidea. Species-specific spawning observations are limited, so reproduction is described using the general starfish pattern shared by the family.
Sexual Reproduction
During free spawning, eggs and sperm are released into the water and the embryos and larvae live as plankton. Larvae develop through bilaterally symmetrical bipinnaria and brachiolaria stages, then settle on the seabed and metamorphose into small pentaradial juveniles.
Common Challenges
The planktonic larval phase needs open-water dispersal and microfood that home systems cannot supply, so the cycle is not completed in captivity. No asexual reproduction is documented for this species. Because it preys on soft corals and clams, it is unsuitable for reef tanks.