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 he
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!