A sea star sin!!!

[reef fool]

While on vacation in Westerly R.I. last weekend, I brought the rugrats into a beach shop for their usual vacation souvineer when I spotted a basket full of blue, purple and orange linkia stars dried up and dead(of course)!!! There had to be 40-50 of them. Kinda made me sick. There was also about 20 or so chocolate chip stars in another basket!!
Don't these people realize what kind of creature they are killing?!! I guess not. And this is only one beach shop on the New England coast. How many of these little guys are there sacrificed for souvineers around the country/world. Alot more than are killed or captured for this hobby, I am sure!
It just pissed me off and had to share.
Sorry if I ruined your day Ophiura

 

[sinner's girl]

I like to believe that they die a natural death and then are dried and sold...then again, I still believe in the Easter Bunny

 

[jonthefb]

same goes with seahorses....people feel that their dried bodies are such curiosities, and are sold by the billions to unwary tourists!
good luck jon

 

[ophiura]

They certainly did not die a natural death, and I can pretty much guarantee you they weren't humanely destroyed, either. Anyway, this is always on my mind, and on my colleagues minds, and I do hope it at least reminds hobbyists that there are many stresses on these animals and it really is imperative that they only be kept by people who can truly provide for them. An incredible number die in this hobby, just as they do in the craft and souvenir trade. This is one of the primary reasons I don't encourage feeding Linckia stars to Harlequin shrimp...there are enough stresses on them already; to buy them as food seems an even greater waste when other stars are sufficient.

 

[krowleey]

same goes with all life. reef animals are a small part of whats getting destroyed in the ocean. i wish we all lived in a perfect world but thats living a fantasy. it's very sad to see how man or certain countries live for the now instead of thinking of the future.
one day this world is going to wake up and remove this parasite from the planet. were over populated now think of 50 years from now