Sand Sifter Sea Star

The Sand Sifter Sea Star spends much of its time beneath the substrate, searching for food within the sand. That behavior can make the surface appear tidier, but its diet includes the small living animals that help populate a mature sand bed.

Only consider it for a very large, established system with an extensive productive sand area. In smaller or newer aquariums it can deplete its food supply, and acceptance of substitute foods is unreliable. Continued burrowing is not proof that the star is receiving adequate nutrition.

Avoid predatory fish, sharp substrate and abrupt changes in marine water chemistry. Assess the habitat's ability to sustain the star over the long term before purchase. This is a specialized sand-bed inhabitant with a significant starvation risk, rather than a general answer to unwanted debris.