The Red Serpent Starfish is a brittle, spiny and hard skinned animal that features a central, 5-sided disc with five banded and scaly arms. All it needs is a plenty of room to roam, and ample hiding places that provides it a realistic shelter. The Red Serpent Starfish is very sensitive to water changes, and is intolerant to sudden changes in oxygen levels, salinity and pH of the water, and also to copper medications. We recommend you to use the drip acclimatation method with no less than 2-2.5 hours due to their intolerability to changes in water chemistry. The Red Serpent Starfish requires salinity of approx 1.02 ppm, as lower salinities can shorten the life of this animal. The Red Serpent Starfish is extremely difficult to breed in an aquarium with no distinguishing characteristics to help differentiate it from its mate. It can be fed with small meaty foods such as chopped meat, shrimp, mussel, or fish. It will not bother any tank inhabitant if it is fed properly. The Red Serpent Starfish moves along the sea bed, and has the ability to regenerate itself. If any arm is cut off it can be regenerated and form a new arm. The Red Serpent Starfish has five arms that are radiating from a central disk underneath which, the mouth of the starfish is located. It is great scavengers and mainly feeds on decaying matter and plankton, and that makes a great addition to any tank. The Red Serpent Starfish is mainly nocturnal and catches its prey using its long appendages or arms, and during the day it will mostly found hiding in rockwork or can be seen with its appendages sticking out on the rockwork. Often you will find the Red Serpent Starfish buried in the sand bed, while extending the arms to sense for food.
The Red Serpent Starfish is a tremendous scavenger that makes a great addition to any tank. They are most sought after for their stunning red color. These starfish are nocturnal and like to spend the day hiding in rockwork. Often times, they will keep their body buried while extending out their arms to sense for food. During the night they will come out of the rockwork to search for food; occassionally, they will crawl up onto the rockwork and completely spread out their body. They are tremendous scavengers and will feed on waste in an aquarium. They should also be fed regularly. Red Serpents prefer lots of rockwork to hide in. While more than one can be kept in each aquarium, these starfish can be rather large and will compete for food. They do a superb job of controlling excess waste in your aquarium. These Starfish are very sensitive to any change in water conditions.Echinoderms are central disc organisms that use tube feet or spines to move their bodies. The Ophiuroidea Class is made up of Starfish that have a flat and smooth central disc with five spined arms. These spines vary from species to species and can be short, long, thick, or thin, and come in different colors. Some "arms" will lack spines altogether. Each arm is composed of top-side plates that allow for excellent flexibility and quickness, but have a downside of easily breaking. These arms will regenerate over time. The mouths of these creatures is on the underside of the central disc. This Class of Stars is nocturnal and do most their feeding at nighttime. During the day these Stars like to hide beneath rock, or in crevices and caves.Photo by saltwaterfish.com member, New180g: Nicole Duncan.
