The popular Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus) and Red Knob Sea Star
(Protoreaster lincki) feed heavily on sponges and rarely survive long in captivity. These
attractive sea stars have also been known to consume soft corals, hard corals, and sea
anemones when housed in reef tanks. Members of the genera Linckia and Fromia, commonly known as Marble Stars, Blue Sea Stars, and Multicolored Linckia, too often waste
away in captivity due to inadequate diet. Facts about the diet of these stars remain elusive,
but some suspect that they consume bacterial and algal film and detritus, while others
believe they consume mainly sponges and small benthic invertebrates. These sea stars are
very sensitive to shipping stress and acclimation and should be treated carefully.
The desirable sand sifting sea stars (Astropecten and Luidia) quickly disappear into the
depths of the sand bed, where they can, in theory, perform the helpful duties of aeration
and turnover. Unfortunately, captive systems usually cannot support the dietary demands
of these predators that quickly consume and deplete populations of the sand infauna.
HOLOTHURIDS: CUCUMBERS AREN’T JUST FOR PICKLES
It is hard to imagine that a slow-moving, tubular animal with leathery skin, capable of
eviscerating its gut, would appeal to marine aquarists, yet their popularity is catching
on. Filter-feeding sea cucumbers (holothurids) such as the Sea Apple (Pseudocolochirus
violaceus) and Yellow Cucumber (Colochirus robustus) can be maintained long-term using live microalgae (phytoplankton) foods, marine snow, and occasional stirring of the
sediments. These animals tend to remain sedentary for long periods of time when well
fed, making them ideal aesthetic additions to marine aquariums. If injured or severely
