Yellow Brittle Starfish, Tongan Brittle Starfish

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You are here: Home » Invertebrates » Starfish » Yellow Brittle Starfish

Yellow Brittle Starfish

Scientific Name

Ophiocoma spp.

Reef Compatible

With Caution

Care Level

Intermediate

Disposition

Semi-aggressive

Minimum Tank Size

50 gallons

Mature Size

10 inches

Placement in tank

Any

Diet

Carnivore

Range

Tonga

Size Class

view chart

Curator's Note

This animal requires a long, slow drip acclimation period of no less than 2-1/2 hours in order to properly adjust to the parameters in your new aquarium. It requires the aquarium to maintain a salinity of 1.025 ppm. Lower salinities will shorten the life of this animal and incorrect acclimation procedures will void the livestock guarantee.

Other Common Names

Tongan Brittle Starfish

Description

Brittle Stars are excellent detrivores and will keep excessive detritus from building up. They like to stay in caves and and other dark places. These animals can be relatively fast, but grow rapidly with regular feedings and become extremely large, so it should be introduced to a large aquarium that is no less than 50 gallons.

In spite of the Yellow Brittle Stars reputation for catching gobies or small slow moving fishes, the advantage to having them outweighs the possible problems. The reported problem behavior is less likely to happen providing they are actually kept well fed. Feeding them will keep them from hunting.

Diet

Feed the Brittle Starfish meaty foods including mussel, clam, raw table shrimp, and silversides. Brittle Stars will eat anything that the other aquarium inhabitants consume. Best to feed at least once a day, every other day at the least. As long as the central disc is meaty in appearance, the Brittle Star can be considered well fed. Predatory hunting may occur if animal is not fed enough.