Black Spotted Sea Star

About

The black spotted sea star (Fromia milleporella) is one of the more reliably reef-safe sea stars available to saltwater hobbyists, which already puts it in a pretty select group. It displays a warm red to orange-red coloration across its five arms, dotted with darker black or deep brown spots that give it a distinctive, almost mosaic-like appearance. In the wild it is found across the Indo-Pacific, typically crawling across rocky substrate and reef rubble where it grazes on microorganisms, detritus, and fine organic matter on the rock surface. That feeding habit is actually good news in the aquarium. It is not the kind of sea star that will go after your corals or clams, making it a far less stressful addition to a mixed reef than many of its relatives. It is generally considered one of the more accessible sea stars for hobbyists who are still building experience, though like all echinoderms it does need stable, well-maintained saltwater and a slow, careful acclimation process. Sudden swings in salinity or temperature can quickly cause problems. Give it plenty of live rock to explore and a mature tank with established microbial growth, and it tends to do reasonably well.