Can You Tell me Who ?

[Caribbean Jake]

Can you tell me if this is a regular Sand sifting Starfish from Indo Pacific, cousin of the Caribbean starfish that is more white/brown starfish, and if it is reef safe?

[xeon]

The problem IMO with sand sifting stars isn't a "reef safe" issue per say... it's a sand bed issue.  They will dine on your sand bed's fauna.  This would not be a good thing, especially with a DSB.

[craby]

Talking about sand sifting critters, I heard that the nassarius snail also feeds on sand bed fauna. Do you think this is true? And what is fauna?

[Caribbean Jake]

my concern is more with "reef safe" issue.  I wonder if this type of star sifting creature will become a predator as they tend to eat moluscus and other small shell inverts.

[xeon]

Here is a good article about DSBs and various faunas.  

 

http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm