Sand Sifting Star - Astropecten polycanthus

[Pszemol]

Acording to the Livequaria.com description, Astropecten polycanthus
do not have suction cups so they cannot climb glass/rocks. I am not
sure if Liveaquaria is right or wrong, but my star has suction cups and
does climb glass. Maybe I have something different, not Astropecten
polycanthus? I am currently trying to identify mine because since I put
it into the tank the substrate is dead-clean. No benthic animals whatsoever.
And before putting it in I have quite a live sand with a lot of miniature
brittle stars, copepods and other live forms. Now it is dead-dead.
I tried to feed my star recently to prevent it from eating critters form
the bottom of the tank but it just ignores completely chunk of shrimp meat
put underneath it and just walks away. Maybe not hungry anymore?
Or maybe not guily of this carnivore job?
If you can - please help me identify - you will find pictures here:
www.polbox.com/p/pszemol/english.html - click on Sand Sifting Star.
If you have good marine invertebrate atlas, please check if Astropecten
polycanthus has suction cups or not... and what does it eat for real...
Thanks!

[Bill]

Mine looks just like yours and it does climb up the glass which I didn't
think it would do either. Once I saw it going over the live rock as well but
usually it is on the sand or on the glass.
I'm looking forward to the answers of your questions as well.
One thing that is pretty neat is how fast it can bury itself.

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> Acording to the Livequaria.com description, Astropecten polycanthus
> do not have suction cups so they cannot climb glass/rocks. I am not
> sure if Liveaquaria is right or wrong, but my star has suction cups and
> does climb glass. Maybe I have something different, not Astropecten
> polycanthus? I am currently trying to identify mine because since I put
> it into the tank the substrate is dead-clean. No benthic animals
whatsoever.
> And before putting it in I have quite a live sand with a lot of miniature
> brittle stars, copepods and other live forms. Now it is dead-dead.
> I tried to feed my star recently to prevent it from eating critters form
> the bottom of the tank but it just ignores completely chunk of shrimp meat
> put underneath it and just walks away. Maybe not hungry anymore?
> Or maybe not guily of this carnivore job?
> If you can - please help me identify - you will find pictures here:
> www.polbox.com/p/pszemol/english.html - click on Sand Sifting Star.
> If you have good marine invertebrate atlas, please check if Astropecten
> polycanthus has suction cups or not... and what does it eat for real...
> Thanks!

[Marco Qualizza]

This is from Baensch's Marine Atlas, Vol. 3, p. 942. It describes
Astropecten phragmorus, which is apparently very similar to A.
polyacanthus. I've included all of the information that they provide
(except for availability and difficulty). Hope this helps. :-)

Habitat: Indo-Pacific; from the Red Sea to the Philippines. It lives
at depths of 5-25 m.

Sexual Differences: None

Social Behaviour/Association: This solitary animal usually remains
buried in the substrate during the day,
but at twilight it emerges and freely
roams through the night searching for
food on coralline sands and close to
reefs. Keep singly; it cohabits well
with fishes that do not sleep on the
bottom.

Maintenance: An aquarium with a 5-10 cm layer of sand where it [likes]
to burrow. Rock and coral edifications do not influence
maintenance.

Light Requirement: Sunlight zone (30,000 to 50,000 lux)

Breeding/Reproduction: Like other Astropecten

Feeding: Carnivore; inhabitants of the upper sand layer are "sniffed
out", dug up, and then stuffed into the elastic stomach. The
small bivalves it consumes with predilection can be offered
in captivity.

Specialties: Characteristically, this sea star is beige, brown, to
pink and often has dark irregular spots and several rows
of large teeth on the edges of the arms. Near the base
of the arms, there is a light to dark brown or reddish
line. Astropecten polyacanthus is extremely similar, but
its erect rows of spines are internally noncontinuous.

Temperature: 22dC - 27dC

Diameter: 15cm

Tank Length: from 50cm

Water Movement: moderate

Water Region: bottom



In article >, says...
> Acording to the Livequaria.com description, Astropecten polycanthus
> do not have suction cups so they cannot climb glass/rocks. I am not
> sure if Liveaquaria is right or wrong, but my star has suction cups and
> does climb glass. Maybe I have something different, not Astropecten
> polycanthus? I am currently trying to identify mine because since I put
> it into the tank the substrate is dead-clean. No benthic animals whatsoever.
> And before putting it in I have quite a live sand with a lot of miniature
> brittle stars, copepods and other live forms. Now it is dead-dead.
> I tried to feed my star recently to prevent it from eating critters form
> the bottom of the tank but it just ignores completely chunk of shrimp meat
> put underneath it and just walks away. Maybe not hungry anymore?
> Or maybe not guily of this carnivore job?
> If you can - please help me identify - you will find pictures here:
> www.polbox.com/p/pszemol/english.html - click on Sand Sifting Star.
> If you have good marine invertebrate atlas, please check if Astropecten
> polycanthus has suction cups or not... and what does it eat for real...
> Thanks!
>

--
7y FW -- 33g & 55g
100 gallon reef-ready air tank. (Converting to reef)

[Pszemol]

Thanks. So it really eat everything from my bottom :-(
I am so sad - the bio-balance in my reef is broken now.
I have no critters in my sand. There is nobody to eat
detritus and my nitrates level are climbing suprisingli fast :-(

Star is going back to the store and I am looking now
for ways to re-seed my substrate - any good ideas?

"Marco Qualizza" > wrote in message ...
> This is from Baensch's Marine Atlas, Vol. 3, p. 942. It describes
> Astropecten phragmorus, which is apparently very similar to A.
> polyacanthus. I've included all of the information that they provide
> (except for availability and difficulty). Hope this helps. :-)
>
> Habitat: Indo-Pacific; from the Red Sea to the Philippines. It lives
> at depths of 5-25 m.
>
> Sexual Differences: None
>
> Social Behaviour/Association: This solitary animal usually remains
> buried in the substrate during the day,
> but at twilight it emerges and freely
> roams through the night searching for
> food on coralline sands and close to
> reefs. Keep singly; it cohabits well
> with fishes that do not sleep on the
> bottom.
>
> Maintenance: An aquarium with a 5-10 cm layer of sand where it [likes]
> to burrow. Rock and coral edifications do not influence
> maintenance.
>
> Light Requirement: Sunlight zone (30,000 to 50,000 lux)
>
> Breeding/Reproduction: Like other Astropecten
>
> Feeding: Carnivore; inhabitants of the upper sand layer are "sniffed
> out", dug up, and then stuffed into the elastic stomach. The
> small bivalves it consumes with predilection can be offered
> in captivity.
>
> Specialties: Characteristically, this sea star is beige, brown, to
> pink and often has dark irregular spots and several rows
> of large teeth on the edges of the arms. Near the base
> of the arms, there is a light to dark brown or reddish
> line. Astropecten polyacanthus is extremely similar, but
> its erect rows of spines are internally noncontinuous.
>
> Temperature: 22dC - 27dC
>
> Diameter: 15cm
>
> Tank Length: from 50cm
>
> Water Movement: moderate
>
> Water Region: bottom
>
>
>
> In article >, says...
> > Acording to the Livequaria.com description, Astropecten polycanthus
> > do not have suction cups so they cannot climb glass/rocks. I am not
> > sure if Liveaquaria is right or wrong, but my star has suction cups and
> > does climb glass. Maybe I have something different, not Astropecten
> > polycanthus? I am currently trying to identify mine because since I put
> > it into the tank the substrate is dead-clean. No benthic animals whatsoever.
> > And before putting it in I have quite a live sand with a lot of miniature
> > brittle stars, copepods and other live forms. Now it is dead-dead.
> > I tried to feed my star recently to prevent it from eating critters form
> > the bottom of the tank but it just ignores completely chunk of shrimp meat
> > put underneath it and just walks away. Maybe not hungry anymore?
> > Or maybe not guily of this carnivore job?
> > If you can - please help me identify - you will find pictures here:
> > www.polbox.com/p/pszemol/english.html - click on Sand Sifting Star.
> > If you have good marine invertebrate atlas, please check if Astropecten
> > polycanthus has suction cups or not... and what does it eat for real...
> > Thanks!
> >
>
> --
> 7y FW -- 33g & 55g
> 100 gallon reef-ready air tank. (Converting to reef)

[CapFusion]

"Marco Qualizza" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, says...
> > Star is going back to the store and I am looking now
> > for ways to re-seed my substrate - any good ideas?
>
> Reseeding your DSB shouldn't be a problem (LS from LFS, LR will seed,
> and I believe some LFSs sell "clean-up crew" packages ?) ... I think
> that what you really need is to find a way to control your nitrates
> until you DSB can handle the load again... The only thing that comes to
> mind for me is water changes...
>

Yeap.... Goto your LFS and buy a LR and check to see if there are
BioDiverse. This will quickly start your seeding of your LS and LR. This is
the only fastest way of reseeding that I can think of. Or ask your LFS or
Reef buddy to swap LS or LR with you.

CapFusion,...