Sea stars (sometimes called “starfish,” even though they’re not actually fish) rarely do well in home aquariums. Many species starve to death, either quickly or over extended periods, which is unfortunate because sea stars are fascinating creatures to watch, and often brilliantly colored, too. I’ve tried to stay away from acquiring sea stars, because I don’t like bringing home creatures that won’t thrive in my aquarium. For a while, I had a thriving population of micro-brittle-stars (which measure 1-2 inches in diameter, from arm to arm). Sadly, I lost them due to an unexpected (and largely unpreventable) salinity shift a couple of years ago.
Read morestarfish
Starfish on the Reef
Ever since my childhood visits to my great-grandmother’s house on Balboa island, I’ve loved starfish. As a child, I walked the beach on sunny mornings, bucket in hand, collecting the starfish stuck on the sand and returning them to the water. I used a bucket in order to return them all to the water directly in front of my grandmother’s home–on the theory that they would be easier to find and protect the next day if I kept them all together and nearby. (It seemed logical at the time. And no, I never did wonder why they scattered out again
Read more