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Little Shop of Coral

Orange Banded Starfish (Ophiomyxa australis)

Orange Banded Starfish (Ophiomyxa australis)

$40.00 CAD
$40.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
Size

The Orange Banded Starfish is a striking brittle star relative with bold orange banding and long, flexible arms that give it a dramatic look in the reef. It is a nocturnal scavenger that spends most of its time tucked into rockwork, extending its arms to grab passing food. Hardy in stable systems and very interesting to watch after lights out, this species is best for established tanks with consistent feeding and peaceful tank mates.

Why we love it

  • Bold orange banding and a unique, dramatic look

  • Great night-time activity, fun to watch after lights dim

  • Helpful scavenger that eats leftover food and organics

  • Adds variety and movement to the cleanup crew

Care and Compatibility

Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful to Opportunistic
Reef Safe: Yes, with caution
Diet: Omnivore (scavenger)
Adult Size: Medium to large (arm span can reach 10 to 14")
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallons recommended

Ideal Parameters

  • Temperature: 24 to 26 C (75 to 79 F)

  • Salinity: 1.024 to 1.026

  • Stable alkalinity and calcium support long-term invert health

Feeding

This starfish does best when it receives regular food, especially in very clean tanks.

  • Leftover fish food and frozen food scraps

  • Small meaty foods like mysis, chopped seafood, and pellets

  • Occasional targeted feeding near its hiding spot
    Feeding after lights dim often works best since it is more active at night.

Tank and Setup Notes

  • Provide plenty of rockwork, caves, and shaded crevices

  • Keep salinity stable, echinoderms are sensitive to rapid changes

  • Avoid exposure to air during transfer when possible

  • Use intake guards on pumps and overflows, long arms can get caught

Compatibility Tips

  • Generally safe with corals and most reef inverts

  • Use caution with very small fish, tiny shrimp, or weak animals, large brittle stars can opportunistically grab food and may catch small tank mates in cramped setups

  • Avoid predators like triggers and larger puffers

  • Not recommended with harlequin shrimp, which may prey on starfish

Acclimation and Health

Slow drip acclimation is strongly recommended. This species is sensitive to salinity and pH swings. Once settled, it is typically hardy as long as the tank is stable and it is fed consistently.

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LIGHT

LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.

MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height. 

HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.

FLOW

LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.

MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.

HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.

SKILL

ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.

While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.

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