Sand-Sifting Stars
From Microcosm Aquarium Explorer
These burrowing scavengers need plenty of food in the sediment to survive. Scott W. Michael
[edit] Overview
Sold as scavengers, these stars move across the sediment surface until they decide to submerge into the substrate. While burrowing, they ingest any potential food items, then move to a new location.
These stars are brown, gray, off-white, or black. Along the edges of each ray are large, shieldlike plates; these plates and their spines give the sides of Astropecten arms a comblike appearance. They typically have five rays.
Family: Astropectinidae
Other common name(s):
Native range:
Maximum length: 30 cm (12 in)
Minimum aquarium size: 380 L (100 gal)
Lighting: Immaterial.
Water: Marine 24 °C (297 K, 75 °F) - 28 °C (301 K, 82 °F)
[edit] Feeding
Feed on sediment infauna.
[edit] Aquarium Compatibility
Not suitable for most tanks. They eat brittle stars, worms, snails, sea cucumbers, and smaller organisms.
[edit] Special Care
These sea stars need a lot of food: once the animals in the sediment are eaten, the sea stars often starve to death.
[edit] Notes
Some of these stars are active nocturnally.
| Common name | Sand-Sifting Stars + |
| Family | Astropectinidae + |
| Genus | Astropecten + |
| Image credit | SWM + |
| Lighting | Immaterial. + |
| Maximum length | 12 in + |
| Minimum aquarium size | 100 gal + |
| Native range | Tropical Seas + |
| Reference | A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates + |
| Specific name | spp. + |
| Text credit | RLS + |
| Water max temp | 301 K (28 °C, 82 °F) + |
| Water min temp | 297 K (24 °C, 75 °F) + |
| Water type | Marine + |