Shrimp, Snails, and Crabs
Sand Starfish
Archaster typicus
Photo: coenobita · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Temperature24–27 °C
- pH8.1–8.4
- Adult size15 cm
- Difficulty★★★☆☆
- TemperamentPeaceful
- WaterMarine
- Reef safeYes
Full profile
- Family
- Archasteridae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific
- Size
- 10 – 15 cm
- Temperature
- 24 – 27°C
- pH
- 8.1 – 8.4
- Salinity
- 1.023 – 1.025
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
- Water type
- marine
- Behavior
- Pacific
- Diet
- detritivore (debris and microorganisms from the sand)
- Reproduction
- releases gametes into the water
- Reef Safe
- ✅ Yes
Notes: It burrows into the sand and stirs it up in search of food. In small aquariums, it quickly depletes the food in the substrate and starves to death; it should only be kept in large, well-established aquariums.
