White Sandsifting Starfish - Astropecten polycanthus

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The White Sandsifting Starfish (Astropecten polycanthus) is one of the most popular starfish in the aquarium trade. They are light tan, occasionally with darker brown markings, and have white comb-like spines around its edges.

Sandsifting Starfish (Astropecten sp.) are good for keeping the substrate stirred and cleaned but will eat any animals they find in the substrate including some worms, amphipods, crustaceans, and small snails. In small tanks or tanks that do not have a very established and populated sandbed, they may eventually clear out their food source and starve. Do not keep in small tanks and supplement their diets regularly. They are best not kept in tanks with other animals like dragonets and some wrasses that depends on the microfauna in the substrate for their diet as well. Sandsifting Starfish are generally Reef Safe and will not feed on polyps and corals.

Starfish in general are very sensitive to changes in water quality and conditions. If temperature, salinity or other water parameters change quickly, starfish cannot regulate the change and are often damaged or killed. Be sure to acclimate carefully and while doing water changes, make sure the "new" water is as close as possible to the "old" water in its parameters.