Sand Sifting Starfish (Astropecten polyacanthus)

For aquarists looking to maintain a pristine substrate, the Sand Sifting Starfish is the ultimate utility animal. Sporting a flat, tan-and-brown speckled body lined with small spines, this starfish spends nearly its entire life buried just beneath the surface of the sand bed. As it moves through the substrate, it continuously churns and aerates the sand, consuming detritus, uneaten fish food, and unwanted organisms, which prevents dangerous anaerobic dead zones from forming.