Basket Starfish (Advanced Aquarist Only Please)

[Domboski]

I've had a Basket Starfish (Astrophyton muricatum) for a few months and it has split off part of itself so now I have a small baby. I will not sell this to just anyone. I have found the care to be easy (easy for me that is) because I feed my Gorgonians almost nightly and I spot feed the starfish cyclopeeze and mysis shrimp. I took a picture of the baby starfish this morning but can't find the cord to my camera. If you search the scientific name via google you will see pictures and I've provided a link above to a similar looking starfish. The small starfish has a 3" circumference when completely open. If you are not familiar with their behavior, they usually spend the day compact on or in rock and/or attached to Gorgonians. They open at night for feeding and will try and catch passing foods in the water column. If you have an SPS heavy tank, my guess is the starfish may attach itself to your corals. Mine stay on the Gorgs. I've read there is a chance they may eat small fish and invertabrates but haven't experienced that myself.

These starfish can get pretty big so keep that in mind as well and can reproduce asexually like many other starfish. Very cool starfish to watch under the moonlights but requires a lot of attention and care.

$10 for the little guy but advanced and serious aquarist only. I don't need to sell the starfish but thought if someone was interested in keeping one, why not a captive born?

Please PM or post here. I may ask a few questions about your husbandry and tank if I do not know you.

Thanks!

Dom

 

[Domboski]

The Basket starfish is spoken for.

Thank you!

Dom