Starfish

89 species

Starfish, also known as sea stars, are fascinating echinoderms that are popular in the reefkeeping hobby due to their unique shapes and vibrant colors. These marine invertebrates are not only visually captivating but also play a vital role in the ecosystem of an aquarium. Starfish can be found in a variety of habitats, from tropical coral reefs to cold deep-sea environments. They have a remarkable ability to regenerate lost arms, which is both a survival mechanism and a point of interest for hobbyists. Some species can even reproduce asexually by splitting their bodies and regenerating into two separate individuals.

When considering adding starfish to your aquarium, it is important to understand their specific care requirements. Most starfish are sensitive to changes in water quality and require stable, well-maintained environments. They often prefer a sandy or rocky substrate where they can forage for food. Many starfish are detritivores, feeding on decomposing organic material, algae, and small invertebrates. However, some species have specialized diets; for example, the Acanthaster planci feeds primarily on coral polyps, which can be detrimental to a reef tank.

Compatibility with other tank inhabitants is another crucial aspect to consider. While many starfish are peaceful and can coexist with a variety of marine life, some species may prey on sessile invertebrates or smaller fish. It is essential to research the specific species of starfish you are interested in to ensure it will be a suitable addition to your aquarium. Additionally, starfish are known to be escape artists, so a secure lid on the tank is recommended to prevent any adventurous individuals from climbing out.

In summary, starfish can be a unique and intriguing addition to a saltwater aquarium, offering both aesthetic appeal and ecological benefits. Their care requires attention to water quality, diet, and compatibility with other tank inhabitants. By understanding the needs and behaviors of these remarkable creatures, hobbyists can enjoy the beauty and diversity that starfish bring to the marine environment.

  1. Crown of Thorns Starfish (Purple Variant)
    Common name: Crown-of-Thorns Starfish
    Scientific name: Acanthaster planci
  2. The amazing and mysterious underwater world of Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Manado, brittlestar
    Common name: brittlestar
    Scientific name: Amphiura filiformis
  3. Common name: Burton's Starfish
    Scientific name: Aquilonastra burtoni
  4. Sand Sifting Sea Star - (Astropecten polycanthus)
    Common name: Sand Sifting Starfish
    Scientific name: Archaster angulatus
  5. sand sifting starfish (archaster typicus) moving through the glass of a reef aquarium
    Common name: Indo-Pacific Beach Star
    Scientific name: Archaster typicus
  6. Northern Pacific Seastar (Asterias amurensis) in Japan
    Common name: Northern Pacific Seastar
    Scientific name: Asterias amurensis
  7. étoile de mer commune (Asterias rubens).
    Common name: Northern Sea Star
    Scientific name: Asterias rubens
  8. Orange starfish on the sea-bed
    Common name: Asterina Starfish
    Scientific name: Asterina anomala
  9. Common name: sheriff-badge sea star
    Scientific name: Asteropsis carinifera
  10. Common name: Anderson's Sand Star
    Scientific name: Astropecten andersoni
  11. Orange Comb Starfish under water - Astropecten sp.
    Common name: Royal Starfish
    Scientific name: Astropecten aranciacus
  12. Giovane esemplare di stella marina, Astropecten bispinosus, tra la sabbia
    Common name: Bispinosus Sand Star
    Scientific name: Astropecten bispinosus
  13. Sand Sifting Sea Star - (Astropecten polycanthus)
    Common name: Sand Sifting Starfish
    Scientific name: Astropecten jonstoni
  14. Astropecten spiny sea star on silty bottom
    Common name: comb star
    Scientific name: Astropecten polyacanthus
  15. Basket Star Astrophyton muricatum in Tayrona National Natural Park
    Common name: Giant Basket Star
    Scientific name: Astrophyton muricatum
  16. Sea star in the coral reef, Bali sea, Indonesia
    Common name: Red Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Chaetaster longipes
  17. Granulated Sea Star (Choriaster granulatus)
    Common name: Granulated Sea Star
    Scientific name: Choriaster granulatus
  18. Étoile de mer épineuse - coscinasterias tenuispina
    Common name: white starfish
    Scientific name: Coscinasterias tenuispina
  19. Pin Cushion Sea Star (Culcita novaeguineae) in Sogod Bay near Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, Philippines.  Underwater photography and travel.
    Common name: pin-cushion sea star
    Scientific name: Culcita novaeguineae
  20. Cushion Star or Spiny cushion star (Culcita schmideliana), Indian Ocean, Maldives, Asia
    Common name: cushion star
    Scientific name: Culcita schmideliana
  21. Eccentric Sand Dollar - Dendraster excentricus
    Common name: Eccentric sand dollar
    Scientific name: Dendraster excentricus
  22. Starfish, Echinaster callosus, Gili Lawat Indonesia
    Common name: Warty sea star
    Scientific name: Echinaster callosus
  23. Luzon Sea Star (Echinaster luzonicus)
    Common name: Luzon Sea Star
    Scientific name: Echinaster luzonicus
  24. Estrella de mar. Echinaster sepositus.
    Common name: Red starfish
    Scientific name: Echinaster sepositus
  25. Harlequin Shrimp, Hymenocera picta, with sea star food, Fromia monilis
    Common name: Orange spotted purple sea star
    Scientific name: Fromia elegans
  26. Ghardaqa red sea star - (fromia ghardaqana), underwater photo into the Red Sea
    Common name: Ghardaqa Sea Star
    Scientific name: Fromia ghardaqana
  27. Fromia Indica red starfish
    Common name: Indian Sea Star
    Scientific name: Fromia indica
  28. Detail of a small Thousand-pores starfish, Fromia milleporella, as it crawls on a reef in Indonesia.
    Common name: Red Starfish
    Scientific name: Fromia milleporella
  29. A Pearl Sea Star (Fromia monilis) in the Red Sea, Egypt
    Common name: Red Tile Starfish
    Scientific name: Fromia monilis
  30. Noduled sea star (Fromia nodosa) underwater on the bottom of the sea
    Common name: Red Sea Star
    Scientific name: Fromia nodosa
  31. Huge red starfish underwater in the blue clear sea. concept of holiday, vocation and relaxing
    Common name: Red Starfish
    Scientific name: Fromia polypora
  32. Hacelia Orange seastar, underwater photo into the Mediterranean sea - (Hacelia attenuata)
    Common name: smooth starfish
    Scientific name: Hacelia attenuata
  33. Blood Star (Henricia leviuscula) photographed scuba diving in southern British Columbia
    Common name: Pacific blood star
    Scientific name: Henricia leviuscula
  34. Blood Sea Star underwater in the St. Lawrence Estuary
    Common name: Bloody Henry starfish
    Scientific name: Henricia oculata
  35. A close-up picture of a Horse star, Hippasteria phrygiana is a species of sea star, aka starfish, belonging to the family Goniasteridae. Picture from the Weather Islands, Skagerrak Sea, Sweden
    Common name: arctic cushion star
    Scientific name: Hippasteria phrygiana
  36. A Double Sea Star (Iconaster longimanus)
    Common name: icon star
    Scientific name: Iconaster longimanus
  37. Common name: Leather Star
    Scientific name: Leiaster coriaceus
  38. Common name: velvety sea star
    Scientific name: Leiaster speciosus
  39. yellow star linckia guildingi
    Common name: Blue Linckia Starfish
    Scientific name: Linckia guildingi
  40. Blue Sea Star - (Linckia laevigata)
    Common name: blue sea star
    Scientific name: Linckia laevigata
  41. Spotted Linckia Linckia multifora
    Common name: Blue Linckia Starfish
    Scientific name: Linckia multifora
  42. Common name: Seven-armed starfish
    Scientific name: Luidia ciliaris
  43. Luidia maculata Starfish strand on the beach
    Common name: seven armed sea star
    Scientific name: Luidia maculata
  44. Common name: Variable Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Macrophiothrix variabilis
  45. Spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis) in Mediterranean Sea
    Common name: spiny starfish
    Scientific name: Marthasterias glacialis
  46. Common name: Bradley's Sea Star
    Scientific name: Mithrodia bradleyi
  47. Common name: nail sea star
    Scientific name: Mithrodia clavigera
  48. Friant's Sea Star Nardoa frianti
    Common name: Nardoa frianti
    Scientific name: Nardoa frianti
  49. Galathea Seestern
    Common name: Galathea Sea Star
    Scientific name: Nardoa galathea
  50. Brown Mesh Sea Star (Nardoa galatheae)
    Common name: Brown Mesh Sea Star
    Scientific name: Nardoa galatheae
  51. Detail of the top of a Yellow mesh sea star, Nardoa novaecaledoniae, on a coral reef in Indonesia.
    Common name: Nardoa Starfish
    Scientific name: Nardoa novaecaledoniae
  52. Common name: Rose Sea Star
    Scientific name: Nardoa rosea
  53. Common name: Nardoa Tuberculata
    Scientific name: Nardoa tuberculata
  54. Blue sea star on coral. The Island Of Mindoro. Philippines.
    Common name: Blue Sea Star
    Scientific name: Neoferdina cumingi
  55. Chocolate chip sea star
    Common name: Chocolate Chip Sea Star
    Scientific name: Neoferdina glyptodisca
  56. Underwater photography. Red knobbed sea star and sea urchins. Zanzibar, Tanzania.
    Common name: Red Knob Sea Star
    Scientific name: Neoferdina insolita
  57. Common name: Conspicuous Sea Cucumber
    Scientific name: Opheodesoma spectabilis
  58. Common name: savigny's brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophiactis savignyi
  59. A Green Brittle Star (Ophiarachna incrassata)
    Common name: Green Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophiarachna affinis
  60. Ophiarachna incrassata on the sand
    Common name: Green Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophiarachna incrassata
  61. Red Mediterranean Seastar – Ophidiaster ophidianus
    Common name: purple seastar
    Scientific name: Ophidiaster ophidianus
  62. Scientific ID : Ophiocoma echinata (Spiny ophiocoma). Close-up photograph taken underwater while diving in natural habitat of Brittle Star or Brittle Sea Star.
Class Ophiuroidea, Phylum Echinodermata.
    Common name: black brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophiocoma echinata
  63. Common name: banded ophiocoma
    Scientific name: Ophiocoma pumila
  64. Sea sponge
    Common name: Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophiocoma scolopendrina
  65. Sea sponge
    Common name: red ophiocoma
    Scientific name: Ophiocoma wendtii
  66. Common name: harlequin brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophioderma appressa
  67. Common name: Short-spined brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophioderma brevispina
  68. Common name: Red Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophioderma phoenia
  69. ruby Brittle star
    Common name: ruby brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophioderma rubicunda
  70. Common name: Banded Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophiolepis superba
  71. Starfish on wet black stones
    Common name: black brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophiomastix variabilis
  72. Common name: slimy brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophiomyxa flaccida
  73. Brittle star
    Common name: Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophionereis porrecta
  74. Fauna of Atlantic ocean around Gran Canaria - Ophioderma longicaudum brittle star isolated on white background
    Common name: Banded Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophionereis schayeri
  75. Ophiure piquante - ophiotrix fragilis sorte d'étoile de mer
    Common name: common brittlestar
    Scientific name: Ophiothrix fragilis
  76. Dark red-spined brittle star (Ophiothrix purpurea) on coral, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
    Common name: Purple Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophiothrix purpurea
  77. Ophiothrix suensoni, Suenson's brittle star,sponge brittle star,
    Common name: Sponge brittle star
    Scientific name: Ophiothrix suensoni
  78. Bright serpent star   (Ophiura albida)
    Common name: Brittle Star
    Scientific name: Ophiura albida
  79. Common brittlestar,Ophiura ophiura,
    Common name: serpent star
    Scientific name: Ophiura ophiura
  80. sunset over the Atlantic Ocean in Florida
    Common name: red cushion sea star
    Scientific name: Oreaster reticulatus
  81. Bat Star (Patiria miniata)
    Common name: Bat Star
    Scientific name: Patiria miniata
  82. Beaded Starfish (Pentaceraster mammillatus), Kiwengwa, Zanzibar, Tanzania.
    Common name: Knobby Sea Star
    Scientific name: Pentaceraster mammillatus
  83. Vermillion Star (Mediaster aequalis)
A vibrant Vermillion Star (Mediaster aequalis) photographed while scuba diving in the cold Pacific Ocean in southern British Columbia
    Common name: vermillion seastar
    Scientific name: Pentagonaster duebeni
  84. Close-up detail of the underside of a Pin Cushion Starfish (Culcita novaeguineae) showing small teeth-like spines and nodules; Maui, Hawaii, United States of America
    Common name: red cushion stat
    Scientific name: Porania pulvillus
  85. Red-knobbed Starfish (Protoreaster lincki)
    Common name: Red-knobbed Starfish
    Scientific name: Protoreaster lincki
  86. A Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus) sea star Boracay Island Philippines
    Common name: Chocolate Chip Sea Star
    Scientific name: Protoreaster nodosus
  87. Chocolate chip sea star
    Common name: Chocolate Chip Sea Star
    Scientific name: Tamaria stria
  88. Catalas Seestern (Thromidia catalai)
    Common name: Giant Sea Star
    Scientific name: Thromidia catalai
  89. Mottled sea star
    Common name: Mottled Sea Star
    Scientific name: Tosia australis