Sand Sifting Sea Star

Sand Sifting Sea Stars are a classically shaped sea star with 5 arms radiating from its body.  Its arms are somewhat wider than many other types of sea stars and become narrower at the ends.  While it has drab colouration to allow it to blend in with the seafloor, the brown bands on its arms adds visual interest.

These useful sea stars are found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, particularly Fiji and Indonesia.  They spend most of their time a few inches under the sand and are rarely seen above the substrate.  In a home aquarium, they absolutely require a mature tank with a deep substrate that they can burrow in to search for food.  They are most active at night and are seldom seen during the day.

Sand Sifting Sea Stars are true omnivores and will consume just about anything that they find in the sandbed.  This includes leftover fish food, various types of algae and any dead organisms.  It will sometimes consume smaller, nuisance starfish but generally it is a scavenger rather than an active hunter.  In the process of scavenging the sandbed for food, this sea star will turn over the sandbed.  This process helps to aerate the sandbed and prevent the buildup of organic material and it is the main reason that aquarists will add Sand Sifting Sea Stars to their tank.  Because they have such a voracious appetite, it may be necessary to provide them with supplemental feeding in the form of chopped meaty foods.

Like all invertebrates, they should be acclimatized slowly and are intolerant of sudden changes in water parameters or copper based medications.