Purple Sea Star

Care Summary

The Purple Sea Star is an iconic Pacific intertidal predator with a bold violet to ochre coloration and a robust build that commands attention on the rockwork. It requires cool, well-oxygenated water in the 50 to 65 degree Fahrenheit range, which means it is strictly a cold-water or temperate species tank animal and not suited to tropical reef systems. In its natural habitat it is a keystone predator of mussels and barnacles, and in a captive setting it will go after clams, snails, and any other shelled invertebrates it can pry open. Feed it regularly with mussels or clams on the half shell to satisfy its predatory drive and give it appropriate enrichment in a dedicated cold-water display.