The Tiger Striped Serpent Starfish is also referred to as the Banded Serpent or Banded Brittle Starfish. It gets its name from the striped pattern on its legs, which is reminiscent of a tiger’s stripes. It has a tan body with 5 long arms that have stripes that vary from dark brown to dark red. All stripes on a single specimen will generally be the same colour. The top of Its body also has patterning in the same colour morph as the stripes on its legs.
This sea star is found in both the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific region. It generally inhabits shallow coral reefs and seagrass beds, but can also be found on the rubble surrounding reefs. It is nocturnal in the wild and will hide during the day, while emerging at night to hunt. In a home aquarium they prefer a generous amount of live rock with ample caves and crevices for them to hide in during the day. As they generally hunt on the sea bottom, they also appreciate a tank with a substrate to give them an added area to hunt and scavenge. They generally remain nocturnal in captivity but can sometimes be seen during the day.
Not only is the Tiger Striped Serpent Starfish a visually unique addition to a home aquarium they are also effective predators and scavengers. While they will not harm healthy fish they will hunt and consume nuisance pests in the tank, as well as make short work of any meaty foods that are left over from feeding. They can also be fed chopped meaty foods and this is generally recommended as the sea star becomes larger. They are completely reef safe and will not harm any corals.
Since the Tiger Striped Serpent Starfish can grow as large as one foot in diameter it is best suited to larger aquariums. Care should also be taken to ensure that they are not exposed to air while transferring them to a new tank. They are intolerant of sudden changes in water chemistry and should be acclimatized slowly.
For a hobbyist with a larger, well established tank the Tiger Striped Serpent Starfish is an interesting and
useful addition.