Description
Red brittle starfish, Ophiocoma wendti, is a fairly common starfish found throughout the Keys and South Florida. Like the other brittle stars and some serpent stars, it is a nocturnal scavenger that spends most of the daylight hours hidden under rocks but ventures out to eat at night. Although they can get up to an inch in diameter with legs up to 6 inches long, the average size we send has a body that is about 0.25 inches in diameter with arms that are about 2 inches long. They are reef safe and will eat whatever falls to the bottom. They will get along with other brittle stars from the Caribbean, and with most other Caribbean starfish. These are great for a nano or pico reef tank, or for a refugium. Due to variations within species, your item may not look identical to the image provided.
Mark (verified owner) –
Ordered a pair, both arrived in great shape and very nice looking. Acclimated well and disappeared up[on release. Every so often I see one of them when I feed the tank. Very satisfied.
svetoslav87 (verified owner) –
Love these, came healthy and active. Awesome color and perfect size, just as described
mnewman (verified owner) –
I ordered three of these and two of the large ones. Got four of these and they are very healthy and nice looking. Not exactly what I’d call “red” but more of a brown with a hint of orange color. Still very pretty and healthy. All acclimated well and crawled into the rocks. Hopefully I will see them again when I feed or at night. Very satisfied with my new animals.
ceruleanspiral (verified owner) –
I think the ones I got were not really “nano”. They had 2-4″ arms. My largest now has 5″ arms with nearly dime-sized body- absolutely huge. The others may be comparable- they don’t come out much. They are too big to have 6 in my 32gal tank and one has died so far (that I know of). I am going to contact my local fish store to see if they will take a few- if I can catch them. The big one crawled through my intake grate and now lives in the back, I’ll probably be able to get that one.
These are great starfish for larger tanks or maybe one or two stars if you have a smaller tank. I swish mysis shrimp at their legs every day. They come out when the lights are off- they don’t even like the moonlight setting much. They will stick their legs out a bit when I feed though, so everyone gets some mysis bits. The one in the back of the tank where the intake is was the smart one- any leftover shrimp goes through the grating- which he sits on. If I turn the lights off- even if the room lights are on- they will crawl out on top of the rocks. Any time I do tank maintenance they are out and about since I turn the light off to lift the lid.
I was expecting quite small starfish like I used to have a long time ago living in my live rock. I found out that the Hawaiian mini stars are what I was looking for.
Billy (verified owner) –
The specimen I received was not red, but instead has deep chocolate brown arms with orange spines and a brownish-orange oral disc. Not what I was expecting, but still gorgeous! Size was exactly as described as well (~2″ long arms with a half-inch oral disc). Overall I am quite pleased.
shekinashalomg (verified owner) –
I bought two of these more than a year ago and I love them they stunning. they don’t grow too fast or eat fish like the green ones.
chels_lds (verified owner) –
These are great additions to my 75 gallon tank. My daughters really wanted a star fish, but I wanted to keep some corals. These guys aren’t shy so we can see them frequently. I ordered 2 and was sent an extra.
Michael (verified owner) –
I ordered one, Kara sent two! They both were very much alive upon unpacking. Nice little brittles with a cool reddish orange color and oral discs about the diameter of a pencil eraser. Per starfish behavior they blazed across the sand and into the rocks, haven’t seen anything of them but a couple leg tips sticking out of holes since then. Thanks KPAquatics! I’m so grateful you are here for us in the hobby!
Marcella –
I bought two of these for my tank last year. The red was so bright and intense! They are always out in the morning when I turn the lights on and then they scurry away. lol
They do come out during the day as well. One of mine likes to hang out at the top of the tank and float its arms, the other is a bit more shy and hides in my frogspawn waving its arms between the green of the coral.
Very healthy and big over a year after I received them. They are great scavengers and leave everything in the tank alone, peaceful guys.
Scott Engel –
Both are red in color and arrived well they are now 2 weeks old to my tank and feeding just fine. The small size is great for a BioCube 29 gives me many months of watching them grow. Serpent and Brittle stars both make good reef pets, so fun to feed by hand.
Todd Alvis –
Bright red coloration, acclimated well. They venture out during feeding time and the kids love ’em.
angela smith –
WOW! I ordered one of these guys and I am totally impressed with the health, and color! AWESOME!
Not only that everything else I bought was A++++
Angela Bishop –
Cool looking starfish and it’s the perfect size for my nano tank.
michael mattox –
nice mobile stars, with lots of color. great scavengers.
Tom Johnson –
These guys are awesome, really striking with lots of color, in dimmer light they come out and sit on rocks, real beauties and active.