Purple Sponge Brittle Starfish

Brittle stars are echinoderms built around five long, flexible, bristled arms attached to a small central disc, and this purple form moves through rockwork with a quick, deliberate crawl that is nothing like the slow drift of a true starfish. Most of the time it stays hidden with only an arm tip showing, feeling the water for food, then emerges when something meaty goes in.

Aquarium care

• Arm span is commonly 10 to 15 cm, with a much smaller central disc.
• A scavenger and detritivore, taking leftover meaty food and waste from the rockwork.
• Needs plenty of live rock with crevices to shelter in during the day.
• Very sensitive to salinity, temperature and copper; drip acclimate slowly.
• Arms are fragile and can break when handled, so move it in water rather than by hand.
• Does not harm corals.

It suits an established reef or fish-only tank with peaceful stock and steady parameters. Avoid housing it with harlequin shrimp, larger wrasses, triggerfish and pufferfish, all of which will pick at the arms. Target feed occasionally if the tank is lightly stocked and little food reaches the rock.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is available for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. More in the saltwater collection.