Page 298 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

296 MARINE INVERTEBRATES DIRECTORY

ECHINODERMS

Starfish are the best-known echinoderms,
but the group also features feather and
brittle stars, as well as sea urchins and sea
cucumbers. While they vary in shape, all these
creatures have an internal body structure formed
from calcium and tube feet that enable them
to move over the seabed. Some echinoderms,
including many starfish, are easy to maintain in
aquariums, but sea cucumbers have a devastating
habit of eviscerating themselves when they
become distressed, fatally polluting the
water for the other tank occupants.
Blue Starfish (Linckia laevigata), which are of Asiatic origin,
are a good introduction to this group of marine invertebrates.
However, they are particularly vulnerable to a species of
bivalve mollusk that burrows into their arms, causing paralysis.

Fromia elegans Protoreaster lincki Ophiomastix species
Little Red Starfish Red-Knobbed Starfish Brittle Starfish

ORIGINS Occurs throughout the Indo-Pacific region, ORIGINS Ranges from the Red Sea to Indonesia and ORIGINS Tropical areas, notably off the coast of Florida
especially off Indonesia. islands of the Pacific. and throughout the Caribbean region.
SIZE 3 ⁄4 in (8 cm). SIZE 12 in (30 cm). SIZE 6 in (15 cm).
1
DIET Mussel, clam, and shrimp meat. Beware of DIET Mussel, clam, and shrimp meat. Place a small DIET Mussels, shrimp, and other meaty foods. Try to
overfeeding these and other echinoderms. amount of food under the starfish each day. vary the type of food offered.
WATER Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline WATER Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline WATER Temperature 77–79°F (25–26°C); alkaline
(pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024. (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024. (pH 8.1–8.3) with SG 1.020–1.024.
With their bright red coloration, Red Starfish make Brittle Starfish have a small central disk and long,
small, attractive additions to a reef tank. Juvenile thin arms that are fringed along their entire length.
Red Starfish can be recognized by the black tips of They are ideal starfish for a reef tank, because they
their arms (as shown below). Unlike some of their will scavenge for food without harming the other
relatives, these starfish can be kept safely with other invertebrates that share their quarters. They can
invertebrates. However, avoid housing Red Starfish locate food by smell and are able to reach into
with larger predatory starfish species, which will nooks and crannies to seek out food particles that
eat them. Some crustaceans may also prey on them. are beyond the reach of other tank occupants.

Swollen red areas on the body and arms help to
identify these predatory starfish; the red areas
form a meshlike pattern against a whitish
background. Red-Knobbed Starfish are relatively
easy to keep, but they will attack and feed on
sessile invertebrates sharing their quarters, as well
as any mollusks that they can ambush, so their
companions need to be chosen very carefully.

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