That may or may not be true (if there's no actual research done I'd be very skeptical to believe it personally since they already have such a low survival rate) but it doesn't explain why some disintegrate within a week before being bought from a store or why some live for months in a tank and then die without a significant shift in parameters.On the subject of Blue Linckia longevity, there used to be an undocumented tale about one's handling them with their hands causing their demise. It was said that they couldn't recover after coming in contact with human skin oils. You can spot an old timer collecting one in a shop. You tun the bag inside out, put it over your hand, and pick it up star along with the water you're going to pack it in. Twenty-odd years ago there was only one store in NJ where I would buy one and have it survive a few years. Reef Encounter knew what they were doing.