Choclate Chip Starfish

The Chocolate Chip Starfish is a very popular starfish for fish-only aquariums. They are usually brown, tan, orange, or black in color with black thorns in the center of their disk, which resemble chocolate chips. These starfish are very hardy and eat algae and meaty foods. They should be fed regularly.

Chocolate Chip Stars will spend the day cruising along rockwork and aquarium glass. They will often be seen climbing to the top of an aquarium and bending back an arm or two at the surface, but they will not crawl out of the aquarium. These starfish are very active and make great additions.

They tend to eat corals, clams, and oysters.

Starfish are intolerant of sudden changes in oxygen levels, salinity and pH of the water, and cannot tolerate copper-based medications. The drip acclimation method is highly recommended for all Sea Stars due to their intolerability to changes in water chemistry. It should never be exposed to air while handling.

Echinoderms are central disc organisms that use tube feet or spines to move their bodies. Sea Stars belong to the Class Asteroidea. This is made up of Starfish that usually have five arms with hundreds of small tube feet called podia lined on the underside of each arm.

These arms are shaped like triangles and are connected to the central disc. Each podia is equipped with a suction cup end that allows for ease of movement and to control prey. On the underside of this disc is the mouth of the Starfish. Some Stars will release their stomach out from this mouth to engulf their prey.