Doughboy starfish

Care at a glance

The doughboy starfish has short, thick arms and a smooth, almost doughy look in pink, orange or light brown. It stays fairly compact, but it is a sturdy animal that covers a lot of ground.

It is not a safe choice for a reef tank: besides detritus and film it eats sponges and soft corals, and sometimes stony corals too. It fits better in a roomy fish tank with plenty of live rock, where you supplement its diet now and then with pieces of mussel or shrimp.

Good to know

• Preys on shrimp and snails
• Needs a mature, stable tank

Best not combined with

• Harlequin shrimpHymenocera picta

Related species

• Cushion starCulcita novaeguineae
• Luzon starfishEchinaster luzonicus
• Spotted Linckia starfishLinckia multifora
• Tigertail sea cucumberHolothuria hilla
• Indian sea starFromia indica
• Sea applePseudocolochirus violaceus