White Sand Sifting Star (Astropecten polyacanthus)

Astropecten polyacanthus has a reputation problem: it gets sold as a detritus-eating cleanup crew member, but it's actually a specialized predator that patrols just under the sand hunting worms, small mollusks, and buried crustaceans. That's exactly why so many wind up starving in aquariums that don't have the deep, mature sand bed fauna to support one long-term — the tank looks spotless because the star ate everything that was keeping it that way. Handle the substrate carefully around it; the pointed marginal spines running down each arm are sharp enough to nick skin.

Care level: Moderate · Temperament: Peaceful (predatory on infauna) · Max size: ~8" arm span · Min tank: 50+ gal, deep sand bed · Reef safe: Yes · Diet: Carnivore, hunts small sand-dwelling invertebrates