Latin name | Ophiolepis superba |
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Local name | Banded Brittle Sea Star |
Family | Asteroidea - Ophiolepis |
Origin | West Indian Ocean, The Red Sea |
Max length | 20 cm (7.9") |
Minimum volume | 200 l (53 gal) |
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Hardiness | Average |
Suitable for aquarium | Suitable for most aquarium |
Reef safe | Often reef safe |
Aggressiveness | Peaceful |
Recommended |
Detritus Microalgea (Eg. spirulina) Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...) |
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This spicies might be a threat to smaller fishes.
Sea stars can be an essential part of a clean up crew, as many species live of algae and detritus.
Some species are even quite colorful.
Sea stars should not be kept in tanks with high levels of nitrate or phosphate, as they are more sensitive than most fish.
They might begin to "erode" if the water quality is low or if not provided with enough food.
Many species might be able to find enough food on their own in the aquarium, but if they show signs of starvation, one should feed them fish pellets or similar.
Some species are sensitive to air and changes in salinity, so be careful when moving and acclimating sea stars.
Most sea stars in the trade are harmless and beneficial, but one should be careful when purchasing species with spines, as these are often predatory.
Ronald L. Shimek. 2004. Marine Invertebrates (PocketExpert Guide) - TFH Publications / Microcosm Ltd. - (English)
Philip A. Purser. Aquarium Sea Stars - Fish Channel - (English)
Richard Aspinall. 2015. Sea Stars for the Marine Aquarium - Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine - (English)
Minimum volume
"Minimum volume" indicates the size of the tank needed to house this species under optimal conditions.
This is based on a medium size animal, which you want to keep for several years.
It might be possible to keep smaller specimens for a limited period in a smaller tank. A larger tank might be needed for fully-grown specimens.
Hardiness
"Hardiness" indicates how resistant this species is to disease and how well i tolerates bad conditions in general.
Some species doesn't handle transportation very well, but that doesn't mean that the species isn't hardy under the right conditions.
Suitable for aquarium
In this case, a "normal" aquarium is a reef aquarium with mixed corals or a fish only aquarium with an approximately salinity of 1.026 (sg) and a temperature close to 26°C.
Species requiring more than a 4000-liter tank are considered not suitable for home aquarium.
Special aquariums may cover tanks with low salinity, sub-tropical temperature, deep sand bed, sea grass etc.
Reef safe
Always reef safe: No sources indicate that this species will harm corals or other invertebrates.
Often reef safe: Only a few aquarists has reported problems keeping this species with corals and other invertebrates.
Reef safe with caution: This species may be a threat to some types of invertebrates.
Reef safe with luck: Most specimens will harm corals and/or other invertebrates, but you might be lucky.
Not reef safe: This species is a threat to most corals and/or other invertebrates.