P. Miniata

P. miniata:

Unfortunately, soon after the health of the p. miniata deteriorated as well.  It remains to be seen whether the forbesi did in fact “infect” the miniata with their “disease,” but we will keep them separate from now on.

Next:  collect more and leave at GSO and in a separate tank from the miniata at Brown

My A. forbesi: Observations on 6/19

•The last starfish, which had previously been missing, reappeared in the tank with a detached arm and the beginnings of symptoms similar to the other A. forbesi

•Several of the P. Miniata starfish-both female and male-had begun displaying symptoms similar to the sick forbesi-removed sick ones form tank

–White covering developing on arms

–Insides coming out of arms and from stomach

•Emailed Ed Baker with picture of forbesi arms with innards coming out and asked to compare to his memory of the forbesi that died in the GSO water table last year

My A. forbesi: observations on 6/14

•Checked starfish; found the one that had been missing

•One, over the past few days, slowly shed its arms and died, but had no symptoms of the "disease“

•The one that had been missing now has some spines missing, and every spine is surrounded with the white dots, which are now even scattered throughout the flesh in between the spines

•Plans for A. forbesi:  take the white spots and look at them under a microscope; control = spines/flesh without the spots

–Unfortunately on 6/16 the starfish disappeared again and was later found dead in the filter L so I now need to collect some more to do this experiment

My A. forbesi: the malady

•Of the two brown starfish observed on 6/6, one had an interesting phenomenon:  on the "spikes," some were developing a strange gel-like covering and were easier to scrape off, exposing the inside of the starfish

–The spikes that were beginning to develop the gelly-like substance had a series of tiny bright white spots around the radial edges of the spike situated on the brown flesh in between the spikes

–These gel-covered spikes were observed in clusters along the arms, more often at the most distal parts and the most proximal parts than the middle length of the arms

•The other brown starfish had a few of these “spotted” spikes, but were more randomly spaced with only a few clusters at the tips of a couple of the arms

My A. forbesi: Observations on 6/6

•When I took the sick starfish from the tank today, it was ostracized in the opposite corner of the tank form the other three, which were close to each other on the other side and bottom

•When all the detached arms are placed together, they attempt to move away from one another

•Two of the remaining starfish are browner than the other (which is more purple and orange

•The purpley starfish looked completely normal.

My A. forbesi: how they fared

•1 developed symptoms and died

–From onset of symptoms to death: 8-10 hours

•1 developed symptoms and disappeared to be found later in filter of tank

•1 disappeared and was later found with symptoms

•1 died without developing symptoms but did lose its arms, possibly as a defense mechanism

My A. forbesi

•Collected 8 total- 4 in GSO water table; 4 in tank in lab

–Small to medium size-all found on docks at Allen Harbor in Quonset

•Not found at any beaches or in any tidal pools-not rocky enough or deep enough, perhaps

–Beavertail

–Wickford Harbor

–NKTB

–Fort Wetherill

•Collected on 5/29/12

•6/6: one began growing lesions

–By the end of the day, all its arms had fallen off except 2 attached to the central disk

–Died by morning

•6/6: checked starfish at GSO: all were fine